The Five Second Rule
by a-whisper-to-a-riot
Summary: "You don't want to go messing with Celine, you hold her too long and she'll kill ya." - The Heart Pirates recruit an unlikely new crew mate with a deadly touch. Law/OC
1. The Deadly Touch

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter One: The Deadly Touch**_

* * *

Somewhere on the Grand Line, there lied a little island just at the beginning of Paradise. The island boasted long beautiful beaches and a wild, festive town. Kalmado Island meet numerous travelling pirates daily, many were new faces excited to finally arrive in 'the most dangerous ocean' or 'where One Piece lies'. But there are also returning pirates that have failed to conquer the cruel ocean.

One of the many new faces, Trafalgar Law, had arrived on the island with his crew not long ago. The Heart Pirates docked their submarine on the beach, far from the town.

"It's hot," Bepo mumbled as he climbed out of the hatch.

"No really, Bepo?" Shachi followed out, unzipping his jumpsuit to waist-length. "I really couldn't tell."

"Sorry…" the polar bear's head drooped down.

"You're too easy!" Penguin laughed as he climbed out.

"Where's the Captain?" Shachi tied his sleeves around his waist.

"Cap's staying in the sub for now. Fighting that sea-king earlier screwed up his equipment so he wants to fix it first," Penguin pointed back at the sub. "He told us to go into town to find a log pose, said it was miraculous we managed to get to an island without one."

"Sounds like Captain Law," Shachi sighed. "Well shall we head into town?"

"Yeah," Penguin nodded, resting his hands behind his head. "Maybe if we're lucky, we'll find some cute girls in town."

**XoXo**

"So this is a log pose?"

Penguin held the glass sphere close to his face and examined the thin needle attached to the top. He began tapping the orb and watched the needle shake with each tap.

"Oi, if you break it we'll get in trouble," Shachi pulled it away from the other man's reach.

Penguin pouted slightly and stuck his hands in his pockets. Now that his attention was diverted away from the new device, something seemed to be missing…

"Let's head back, the lady at the store said the pose is already set," Shachi said. "Captain should be pleased to hear we managed without him."

"Wait, where's Bepo?"

The two men scanned their surroundings but there were no signs of the polar bear.

"So close…" Shachi murmured to himself. "Every single time… the bear…"

"Well you were the one that asked him to wait outside," Penguin shrugged.

"And how hard is it to wait on a spot?" Shachi raised his voice a little.

"You can head back first to Captain Law with the log pose," Penguin suggested. "And I'll look around for Bepo. I shouldn't be long."

Penguin watched Shachi head back with a small smile. This wasn't the first time Bepo's gone missing on a foreign island, and it probably won't be the last either. Penguin readjusted his cap and looked around town. Bepo did mention he was feeling hot, perhaps he had wandered off into a building to cool down?

Looking around the buildings closest to the general store, Penguin decided to try his luck at the inn. The fans radiated cool air from above and Penguin immediately felt at ease as soon as he walked in. Taking the closest seat he can find, he glanced around and saw the place was pretty much empty, apart from a group of rowdy pirates that took up half of the inn. As cool as the place was, Bepo probably wouldn't have stayed with the amount of noise the pirates are making.

"A pretty little thing like yourself shouldn't cover up so much skin."

Penguin looked towards the voice from the corner of his eye. A few tables across from him sat a dark haired young lady. A group of men were sat on her table, one reaching for her gloved hand. She retracted her hand immediately as soon as he made contact with her.

"Sirs, if I were you I would leave Celine alone!" the innkeeper called from the counter, putting down a mug he was polishing. It didn't sound like a threat at all, in fact he sounded nonchalant.

"Why? You gonna do something about it?" the man that had touched her yelled back.

"No," the innkeeper shrugged back.

The group laughed as they turned their attention back to the young lady, Celine.

"She doesn't need my help anyway…" the innkeeper muttered quieter.

Penguin caught that last remark and looked back up at Celine. She gritted her teeth as the men carried on speaking.

"You know babe, I've got a nice bounty of twenty million," the man who was obviously captain bragged. "And I'm thinking I could probably up it to tenfold after conquering the Grand Line… A girl like yourself needs a strong man to back her up right?"

Celine said nothing but played with the hem of her glove.

"Oi, what's up with you?" he frowned. "Say something."

"Do you boys know the five seconds rule?" she whispered, finally looked up at the group. Her eyes met the captain's as she slowly pulled her glove off.

"When you drop your food as long as you pick it up in five seconds it's okay to eat?" a man responded.

Her azure eyes darted over at the man momentarily before looking back at the captain.

"Correct," she cooed, placing her palm on the captain's cheek. "Everything is alright… until the five seconds are up."

The captain leaned in closer towards her, and opened his mouth to say something. Just as he was about to voice the first syllable, his mouth stopped moving. Penguin watched as the man's face shifted into a morbid expression, his eyes bloodshot and veins popped out. The area where Celine's hand was touching began to pale until the skin turned a ghoulish purple. He began panting as he grasped onto Celine's wrist, a desperate attempt to make her stop. But he found that all his strength has left him. Unable to do move any of his limbs, his mouth twitched in agony as he tried to protest.

Celine paid no mind to the rest of the men who backed away from the table, unable to do anything to stop the imminent death of their captain.

"Who's a pretty little thing now, asshole?" she whispered, her blue eyes grown cold and blank.

"Celine!" the innkeeper coughed. "That's enough."

Immediately, Celine dropped the man. He landed on the ground with an audible thud. Celine gave the innkeeper an appreciative look as she re-gloved her hand and pulled her cloak on before leaving the inn hastily. On her way out, avoiding eye contact with everyone in the inn.

"I-Is he dead?" one of the crewmember asked, while picking the captain off the ground.

"Not yet," the innkeeper replied. "But he would have been if it were a moment more. You should probably take him back to your ship, he should be alright in a couple of hours."

The pirates carried their captain scampered out, leaving the inn even emptier than before. Penguin saw this as a sign to leave. Just as he was about to leave, a young lady approached his table with a warm smile.

"Please don't go," she tried to reassure him. "I'm sorry about that, my little sister can get a little overboard sometimes."

"That was your sister?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "She's not normally like that, but those pirates were being rather rude to her."

"…"

"Are you a pirate too?" she asked.

"Ah yes," he nodded.

"I thought so," she smiled. "Well I'm glad there are polite pirates out there too. I'm Sera, what's your name?"

"Penguin."

"Is there anything I can help you with, Penguin-san?" she beamed.

"A-ah… I-I'm actually looking for someone," Penguin said, blushing ear-to-ear.

"Oh?" her smile remained intact. "Who are you looking for?"

"A crewmember, he's gone missing while we were running some errands," Penguin blabbered.

"What does he look like?" she asked helpfully. "Maybe I've seen him."

"Well uh, he's actually a polar bear," he scratched the back of his head.

"A polar bear?" her eyes widened a little. She then turned to the innkeeper. "Nii-san, have you seen a polar bear around here?"

'_Wait… what?'_

Penguin looked back and forth between the two. If they were related then that also meant that the innkeeper was related to Celine. So that would mean the whole family owned the inn.

"Can't say I have," he replied. "He's a bear right? Maybe he wandered to the markets?"

"Yeah, that could be possible," Penguin nodded. "I should go, I've stayed too long."

"Goodbye, Penguin-san," Sera smiled as he stood up and headed towards the door.

Just when things quieted down a little the doors were kicked open. Celine had returned with a large fluffy figure behind her.

"Sera! Bern! I found a talking polar bear!"

Penguin's mouth dropped as he watched Bepo bounced in after Celine.

'_What in the world…'_

* * *

Trafalgar Law may come across to many as a calm, laidback individual but like everyone, there was an extent to his patience. Shachi had returned an hour ago with a log pose like he had asked, not to mention it was already set which meant they could leave the island right away. Efficiency, Law liked it. But knowing his crew, things never went so smoothly, and he was proven right when Shachi informed of Bepo's disappearance. Law had received the information with a small knowing smile.

After an hour of waiting around, and his patience was running thin. Law finally decided to take action.

"I say it's about time we go look for our crewmates, don't you think?" he stood up from his seat, while picking up his nodachi.

"Yes, Captain," Shachi nodded, following his captain out of the submarine.

Law responded with a small smile as they walked across the snow-white sand. He had the large sword propped over his shoulder and he rested a hand on it. If it weren't for the blazing heat, Law would have compared his surroundings to North Blue where it snowed day and night.

"Now where do you think they could have gone?" Law asked with his ever-present smile.

He stood in the middle of the street, glancing around town. Law pondered momentarily as he eyed each building, after a couple of moments he walked towards the inn. Shachi was about to voice out his doubts but stopped as he remembered his captain's instincts have never been wrong before.

They stepped into the inn, and sure enough both missing members of the Heart Pirates were present. The two sat on a table with another person, a young lady to be more specific. Penguin's eyes seem to sparkle at the sight of his captain, almost as if he was grateful.

"Captain Law!" Penguin called out.

"Captain!" Bepo waved from his spot next to the lady.

"Penguin. Bepo." Law greeted each one of his crewmates. "And you are miss?"

"Celine."

"It's a pleasure Miss Celine," Law nodded politely.

"I got lost and Celine helped me," Bepo spoke up.

"Thank you for that Miss Celine," Law smiled. "And Bepo, you should be more careful, next time you might not be so fortunate."

"Yes Captain…" the bear's ears dropped.

"Captain, over there is Bernie and Sera," Penguin waved his hand over to the counter. "They're all brother and sisters, they own the inn."

"I see," Law hummed.

Celine eyed the handsome stranger as he sat down across from her, placing his large sword down propped against the table. Behind him was another member of the crew, he sat on the free seat between Law and herself. Celine eyed his sword curiously for a moment, wondering how skilled Law was with it. While deciding if she should ask or not, Sera walked over and gave the group one of her best smiles. Penguin and the man next to her immediately turned beet red, while the captain remained unfazed in his seat. Looks like the question can wait.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked.

"Sake," Law replied.

"Are we not leaving, Captain?" Penguin asked.

"I feel we owe Miss Celine for Bepo's safe return," Law looked directly at Celine. "What better way than to spend our hard-earned money in her inn?"

Celine almost smiled at his remark. He knew how to please a person.

"Call rest of the crew down Penguin," Law instructed. "We'll stay at this inn tonight."

"You don't owe me anything, Captain Law," Celine spoke up. "I was just in the right place at the right time."

"You're too modest sis," Sera returned with the sake. "She was really excited about finding Bepo, before you got here she kept going on and on about adopting him."

"Really?" Law asked, his smile growing wider.

"I wasn't that excited," Celine shrugged off coolly. "I was just surprised to see a talking polar bear."

"_She's lying,"_ Sera mouthed to the pirates, shaking her head.

Celine glared at her sister as she went back to the kitchen. The crewmember that had left earlier, Shachi had just returned with a whole group of the pirates. Though not a large crew, the Heart Pirates took up a whole section of the empty inn. Penguin excused himself quickly and went off to join his friends at the next table leaving behind Celine, Law and Bepo.

"Are you from this island, Miss Celine?" Law inquired.

"Yes," she nodded. "My parents used to own this inn, after they passed it was left behind to us. What about you? Where are you from Captain Law?"

"Law's fine," he smiled. "I'm from North Blue."

"Law," Celine repeated, she liked the sound of that. "Then this heat must be difficult for you."

"I survive," he shrugged, that smile still ever present.

At that moment, Sera returned to their table with the sake. She placed down a traditional tokkuri flask and a small cup down in front of Law and turned to her sister.

"You want anything sis?" she placed a hand on her hip.

"Fries."

"You got it," Sera nodded then turned to the polar bear. "And you, Bepo?"

"Salmon please," Bepo replied.

"Alright!" Sera smiled. "Shall I bring sake for your whole crew?"

"Yes, that'd be wonderful," Law nodded. "Thank you, Miss Sera."

Sera blushed a little before she hurried back into the kitchen. Well glad to know that it wasn't only Celine that was affected by this man's words, even her older sister who was normally indifferent to a man's advances.

"It's disquieting, the way you're staring at me," Law smirked. "Do I frighten you, Miss Celine?"

"No!" Celine replied, maybe a little to loudly. "No… I mean, I've just never really spoken to a pirate before. Or… well, I guess it's more like I've never been able to hold a conversation with a pirate for long."

"Oh?" Law eyed her, intrigued. "And why not?"

"Well… we have all sorts of pirates that come to the island," Celine shrugged. "And not all of them are… civilized as you are. In fact, most of them are rather rude."

Bepo who had been watching their exchange in silence was starting to get bored. He didn't understand the obvious tension that hung in the air between his captain and Celine. The only thing on his mind was the salmon in the kitchen that he could smell from the table.

Bernie appeared by their table with two plates of food, he placed the salmon in front of Bepo and the fries for Celine. Bepo delighted with his food, took no time in devouring his salmon steak.

"Captain, a little friendly advice," Bernie added lightheartedly, catching in on their conversation. "You don't want to get my little sister angry, she can be very scary."

"Noted," Law smiled, watching Celine roll her eyes. "Though I wouldn't dream of harming your family who has shown such kindness to my crew and I."

"Whoa, slow down there, Cap," Bernie laughed. "If you say anymore, I think I just might let you stay for free."

"And we wouldn't want that would we?" Law looked back over at Celine. "Your fries are getting cold, Miss Celine."

Celine watched her brother smirk from the corner of her eye as she took off her gloves. Law watched as she carefully folded the fabric and placed them down on the table. Bernie walked back to the counter with a shake of his head, hoping this wouldn't turn into another accident.

"What?" she noticed his staring as she ate a fry.

"As you said earlier this island is very hot, why do you wear gloves on an island such as this?" he asked, pouring himself a cup of sake.

"It's a necessity," she replied. "What about you? Aren't you hot wearing so much clothes?"

"I don't think you're in the position to speak, Miss Celine. You're on the same boat as I, are you not? Law chuckled. "… Think of it as a personal protocol, whatever the weather I prefer to keep my clothes on."

"That's strange," she commented.

Celine really despised wearing so much clothing while her sister can walk around in a short sundress everyday. Even with just a pair of gloves and cloak, it made a difference on an island such as Kalmado.

"Old habits die hard," he sipped on the small cup.

Law but the cup back on the table and poured another. This time he held it out to her, keeping the tokkuri flask in his other hand. Celine stared at the cup held in front of her and reached for it unsurely. Celine twitched slightly as her fingers made contact with his. She didn't pull away immediately as she didn't want to offend Law, but she counted the seconds in her head. Those short three seconds seemed a lot longer to Celine as it was he first time really touching anyone since she ate the fruit. It was nice, but she knew she had to pull away soon before she hurt him.

"Thank you," Celine said as she pulled away.

Law smiled and stood up. Though Law hadn't said anything, everyone in the room immediately grew quiet. Celine was impressed, this really showed how much respect the crew held for their captain. Law held the flask forward, directing it straight to the girl sitting opposite him.

"A toast to Celine, who was in the right place at the right time."

Law brought the flask to his lips and drank its contents in one go. The Heart Pirates went wild as they cheered and laughed. Even Sera and Bernie joined in on the fun and sat with rest of the crew. Celine, flustered by his toast, nervously drank the cup given to her. He sat back down and put the flask back on the table.

"You have a good crew," she commented.

"I do," he nodded. "They're all good men."

Before Celine could reply, the doors were pushed open abruptly. Penguin immediately recognized the man as the one Celine almost killed earlier. The man looked paler before, and his eyes were still red from before. Behind him were the rest of his crew and they were all dressed in long sleeved clothing.

"Bitch!" he pointed at Celine. "You'll pay for trying to kill the great pirate Zed!"

The Heart Pirates stopped drinking and looked over to their captain for guidance.

"Now, now," Law stood up with a smile. "There's no need to get all upset, I'm sure this is all just a misunderstanding."

"And who the hell are you?" Zed snarled at Law. "Her boyfriend?"

"That's not important," Law replied. "You're bothering me, my crew and my friends, I'd like you to leave."

"Law, I don't need your help," Celine whispered as she too stood up. "I can fight my own battles."

"I'm not doing this just for you, Miss Celine," Law glanced over at her. "Sit back down."

"But-."

"Sit!" Sera hissed as she rushed over and pushed Celine back down onto the seat.

"I don't care who you are!" Zed yelled. "But if you don't get out our way, we'll kill you too!"

Law grinned and picked up his sword.

"That nodachi," one of Zed's crewmembers whispered. "It looks really familiar. I think I've seen it somewhere before…"

"I remember, I think it was from a wanted poster," another replied.

"What?"

"Isn't that Trafalgar Law?"

"Who?" Zed shouted back at his crew.

"W-Watch out boss, if I remember right he's got a bounty of fifty million!"

Zed's eyes widened as he looked back at Law. Celine's reaction was rather similar, her mouth dropped open as she heard that number. She'd never heard of Trafalgar Law or the Heart Pirates before, so he must have earned a reputation before coming to the Grand Line.

"Shall we step out?" Law asked. "I'd hate to damage the inn."

Without even waiting for a reply, Law began walking towards the door. Zed and his crew began to back away from the entrance and back out onto the street. Celine shrugged Sera's hands off her cloaked shoulder and reached for her gloves. She ran by the door and watched Law and Zed. The rest of the Heart Pirates too ran to the door and crowded behind her, eager to watch their captain.

"L-Look man," Zed spluttered. "I ain't scared of you! So what if you have a high bounty, you probably just got lucky!"

Law said nothing as he held both his hands out, balancing the large sword on his shoulder. Zed backed away a little as law waved his hands a little.

"Room."

A large circular dome appeared around Law and Zed's crew. Law picked unsheathed his sword and held it towards Zed and his crew."

"I don't like to be threatened, Mister Zed."

Celine watched in amazement as Law slashed the air a few times and the bodies of Zed's pirates began to break apart. The men yelled as their body parts began to dismember.

"Shambles."

Law began waving his hands in a circular motion and soon all the bits and pieces that belonged to Zed's pirates were flying all around the dome. The dismembered heads screamed in both fear and dizziness. Law having finally grown bored of their yelling began rearranging the body parts.

"Miss Celine!" he called.

"Y-Yes Law?" Celine stumbled out and stood behind him.

"What should we do to Mister Zed?" Law asked her, almost sounding excited. "Give him legs for arms? Or perhaps attach an extra head?"

"Uh- I don't know," Celine mumbled. "Do as you see fit."

"Understood."

Law was done in no time. Once he dropped his hands, the dome vanished leaving behind a group of disfigured men. While screaming and crying, they all wobbled off in different directions revealing a lone head lying on the ground.

"Where's my body?" Zed yelled from the ground. "Give me back my body you freak!"

"Now, now," Law smiled, walking over. "There's no need to call names."

Law picked up Zed's head with one hand and looked over at Celine.

"Miss Celine, I've shown you my trick," he walked towards her. "Why don't you show me yours?"

Celine mouth went dry as he gave her a knowing smile. He held the head out to her.

"Wait no!" Zed yelled. "Forget it! I don't need my body! Just let me live! Please!"

"Shut up," Law snapped. "Well Miss Celine?"

Celine wasn't sure why she did it, but reached for her hand and pulled one glove off. Law grasped onto Zed's head tightly and held it with the face upwards. Celine took a deep breath before placing her hand over Zed's face.

"No… please…" Zed begged. "Please, just let me go. I'll leave immediately. You'll never see me again… please."

Law watched her hand over the face momentarily and when nothing happened he looked back up at her.

"Wait for it…" she looked him in the eye.

"Celine?" Sera pushed past the crowd. "What are you doing? Stop it!"

Neither Law nor Celine looked away, Sera's voice seemed far away as they held the head together. Sera carried on protesting but refused to step out of the inn with fear of what the two would do. Celine didn't know what to think, this was the most intimate she had felt with a person. Perhaps its because she was touching a living, breathing person while eyeing someone so intensely. But whatever it was, she knew it wouldn't last long.

Finally after five seconds, Zed stopped protesting. Law's eyes snapped back down and watched as Zed's skin has turned a ghastly purple. Zed's bloodshot eyes stared back up at Law hopelessly, begging him to make it stop. Law ignored Zed's pained expression and looked up at Celine. She had a blank look in her eyes. Now she seemed to be an entirely different person from the Celine he was speaking to minutes ago in the inn. After another five seconds, the head stopped breathing.

Celine immediately retracted her hand and picked the discarded glove off the ground. Law examined the head he held, veins were popped out irregularly all over the face, the eyes were still red and skin now a pale gray with a hint of purple hue. After his inspection, without another thought Law dropped the head. It landed with a small thud and he stepped over it.

"Come on Miss Celine," he walked past her. "I feel I need another round of sake."

The Heart Pirates made way for their captain as he walked back in. They said nothing and sat back down on their tables, their captain was right, they could use with another round of drinks.

Celine followed in after, and joined Law by the table again. Bepo had decided against sitting with his captain after that fight, so it was only the two sitting at the table. Unsure of what to say, she played with her gloved fingers.

"Miss Sera, another sake please," Law called.

Sera returned to their table with a refill for Law, but unlike last time she sat down.

"What were you thinking Celine?" Sera asked. "That man had a twenty million bounty! The marines would be looking out for who killed him."

"I take full responsibility, Miss Sera," Law said.

"And you!" Sera turned her attention to Law. "We have a hard enough time getting customers as it is, but now they'll never come after your little display out on the street!"

"Sera…" Bernie sighed as he walked over from the counter. "That's enough. He saved us. If he didn't step in we wouldn't have been able to handle those pirates."

"Whatever," Sera stood up. "But I'm watching you Trafalgar Law, if you slip up again tonight then I'm kicking you out!"

"Alright," he smiled. "But for the time being more sake for my crew please."

Amazingly, the tense atmosphere was immediately lifted after more sake was brought around. In no time were the Heart Pirates laughing and joking around again.

"Thank you," Celine eventually said. "… For earlier."

"You're welcome," Law smiled. "I must say, you have a very fascinating power. I've never heard of such a power."

"I think the fruit I ate was called Tacchi-Tacchi no Mi, I really regret it. I didn't even know it was a devil fruit when I ate it," Celine shrugged. "I just remember it tasting really bad though."

"Yeah, I had mine a few years ago," Law nodded. "The taste is really unforgettable."

"As well as the terrible taste that haunts me at night, now I can't swim or touch anyone either," Celine sighed. "I wish there were a way to undo the fruit's power."

"Well, I guess there'll always be a downside to great power," Law crossed his arms. "You just happened to have stumbled onto the one fruit that gives you an extra problem."

"I suppose," she nodded. "It's getting late, and frankly I need a good night's rest after killing my first person."

"I see," Law smiled. "Do you live in the inn?"

"Yes, we have rooms in the basement," she replied as she stood. "It was nice meeting you Law."

"Yes, you too Miss Celine," Law looked up at her. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she smiled back. She turned away and started walking but realized something. She walked back over to the table. "Will you be leaving tomorrow?"

"Yes, first thing in the morning," he smirked, wondering what she had on mind.

"Oh, I see," she nodded. "Well if I don't see you before you leave tomorrow, then I wish you luck on your journey. The Grand Line's an amazing place, but not to be taken lightly. Don't underestimate the ocean, it can get very wild very quickly."

"Yes, thank you Miss Celine," Law smiled. "Your words will stay in my heart as I dwell deeper into the Grand Line."

"Goodnight Law," Celine blushed a little. "I look forward to the next time we meet."

Law nodded in agreement and just like that, Celine left the table and headed to the back. Law took a deep breath as he tried to gather his thoughts on the day's events. He had heard of rumors about Grand Line and the crazy things that happen, but he didn't expect to already get caught up in the craziness on the first island he gets to.

"Soo~ Captain!"

Law turned and found Penguin and Shachi looming over him. The only support the two had while standing up were each other, it was very obvious how drunk they were. Law simply smiled and waited for them to continue.

"Where'd your pretty friend go?" Penguin asked.

"She was tired," Law shrugged. "She went to bed."

"Maybe you should join her Captain Law," Shachi sniggered. "Who knows when you'll see her again…"

"That doesn't sound too bad actually," Law mumbled as he sipped on his sake.

"What was that Captain?"

"Nothing," Law shook his head.

Penguin and Shachi exchanged knowing looks smugly, and stumbled back over to their table. Law chuckled as he watched them go. Looks like they won't be leaving first thing in the morning.

* * *

The next day, Celine woke up at around noon. It was already busy upstairs by the sound of things. She climbed off her bed and yawned, never has she felt so tired. Then realization hit her, Law must be gone by now. Which meant she probably wouldn't see him again. At that thought, Celine frowned.

The basement door slammed open and heavy footsteps can be heard rushing down the wooden staircase. Celine's bedroom door was slammed open and Sera rushed in.

"Pack your bags," Sera instructed. Celine stared blankly back at her older sister. "Now! Immediately! You have to leave!"

"What are you talking about?" Celine groaned, covering her ears. "Go away."

"I'm being serious Celine!" Sera raised her voice a little. "There are pirates up there, they want you dead. Apparently Zed had friends."

"What?" Celine winced. "Where am I supposed to go?"

Celine watched as her sister frantically began to pack her things for her. Sera grabbed a large bag and stuffed whatever clothing she can find in the room.

"Get changed!" Sera threw over a change of clothes.

"But where am I supposed to go?" Celine asked as she stripped off her pajamas.

"Go find Law," Sera replied. "This is his fault anyway."

"What? But Law's gone," Celine mumbled as she pulled on the trousers.

"No, his crew all had hangovers in the morning," Sera explained briskly, throwing the bag at Celine. "They left the inn around half an hour ago, they should still be on the beach."

"Wait, what about you and Bern?" Celine asked as Sera pushed her out of the room.

"They just want you Cel, if you're gone then they'll chase after you," Sera directed her up the stairs. "We'll be fine."

"Wait can I at least say bye to Bern?" Celine struggled as Sera tried to sneak her into the kitchen.

"No! He's keeping the pirates distracted," Sera gave her a hard shove. "Put your gloves on."

Celine did as she was told and Sera immediately grabbed her covered hands. Sera dragged Celine out the back door and ran straight for the beach. Celine could hardly process what was happening as she had just woken up. All she felt were her legs moving and her head spinning.

"Okay, go," Sera stopped when they reached the sandy shore. "I'll make sure they don't come this way."

"But-."

"Shut up Celine!" Sera cried. "Go find Law! And tell him the next time I see him I'm going to kick his ass! Go!"

Celine whimpered slightly as Sera yelled at her, she had never once seen Sera so angry before. Without another word, she began running down the beach. If Sera was right, then Law's ship should be docked at the end of this beach. And this beach stretched on for a few long meters. Before she could think anymore, she spotted something in the water. Celine stopped running and shielded the sun from her eyes with her hand. It looked like a giant submarine… and that was Law on the submarine!

"Law!"

"Law!"

"Trafalgar Law!"

"Oi! Look over here dammit!"

That last line worked as Law snapped his attention over to her immediately. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of Celine waving her arms frantically all over the place. Law immediately directed the submarine back to shore.

Celine stepped back as the submarine docked onto the shore. Law hopped off the edge and landed on the sand.

"Uh- good afternoon," Celine greeted awkwardly.

"Good afternoon," Law replied. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you so soon again, Miss Celine."

"Oh trust me," she chuckled sheepishly. "Me neither…"

"Well what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked.

"Oh… uh, well…" Celine straightened up a little and grasped onto her bag tighter. "I would like to join the Heart Pirates… please."

Law said nothing for a few moments. Celine wondered if he was angry, or maybe he was secretly laughing at her in his head. She peered at his passive face and panicked.

"… If that is okay," she added quickly.

"… The Heart Pirates would be happy to have you," Law smiled.

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"No really?"

"Miss Celine, get on before I change my mind."

* * *

**Tacchi-Tacchi no Mi basically translates to Touch-Touch fruit. I could think of no other name so yeah :P And please review! My first One Piece story and I wrote this chapter all in one night so I'm hope I didn't screw up. **

**Please review!**

**Tell me what you think about Celine. And please do tell me if Law is OOC, because I have no idea if I'm writing him right.**


	2. Experiment Gone Wrong

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Two: Experiment Gone Wrong**_

* * *

Celine looked back at the sandy shores one last time before following Law down the dark staircase. She'd heard about submarines when she was younger but had never seen one before, nor did she ever imagine to be actually riding on one but fate works in strange ways as she was going to be travelling on one.

"Miss Celine, would you shut the hatch behind you?" Law asked.

"Sure."

Celine heaved the large metal door shut and locked it tight. Now that it was closed, the staircase was virtually pitch black. With the lack of handrails and lights to guide her, Celine fumbled down the stairs briskly bashing straight into someone…

"Oof!"

"Sorry Law…" she whispered, peeling herself off Law's back. "You really should have lights in here. I can barely see a thing."

"Remind me the next time we're on an island," Law's voice drifted away into the darkness. "Come, you should meet rest of the crew."

The darkness soon faded away as they entered a large room, this seemed to be the common room as there were sofas and tables. Bepo was lounging on one of the sofas when they walked in. His ears immediately perked up after seeing the person his captain returned with.

"Celine!" Bepo sat up. "What are you doing here?"

"Bepo, call the crew here," Law ordered.

Bepo didn't seem to be bothered that his question went unanswered and strolled towards the back of the room and disappeared down another flight of stairs. Law directed Celine to one of the sofas and she sat down while he stayed stood up.

Not long later chattering and footsteps could be heard heading up the stairs. Penguin and Shachi emerged from the staircase with Bepo following close behind.

"Sorry captain, Ryuu said he has to steer the ship," Bepo mumbled.

"That's alright Bepo," Law nodded.

Two more figures appeared behind Shachi and Penguin. Celine had a brief look at the crew last night but she wasn't introduced to anyone back at the inn. Though she recognized the young boy and the taller man.

"What is it, Cap?" the tall man asked.

"From this point on, Miss Celine is a member of the Heart Pirates," Law announced.

Penguin and Shachi grinned as they peered over at Celine.

"It's nice to meet you all," Celine dipped her head.

"You already know Penguin and Bepo," Law waved an arm towards his crew. "Over here, we have Shachi, Kane and Jonah. Kane and his brother Ryuu work upstairs, they run the submarine."

"Hello there, little lady," Kane nodded with a smile.

Celine, taken back by his comment forced a smile back.

"Jonah, would you take Miss Celine to one of the spare rooms on the second level?"

"Right away, Captain!" the younger boy saluted.

Law smirked slightly at the young boy's vivacity, and headed down the staircase without another word to her. The rest of the crew followed their captain's example apart from Jonah who walked towards Celine.

"Hello," the boy greeted nervously.

"Hi," Celine stood up. "You're Jonah right?"

"Yeah, but please call me Jo," he smiled. "Come, I'll take you to your room."

Clutching onto her bag, Celine followed Jonah down the stairs. While she walked she grew curious to how many levels there were to this submarine. Once again the stairwell was dark and unlit. This was really something she'd have to get used to for the mean time. It really was a lot different from Kalmado where even at night the island was lit up brightly.

"How many levels are there in this submarine?" Celine asked.

"Three below and one above," Jonah replied. "Ryuu and Kane stay up at top where they control the sub. And below on the second level we have the crew quarters, the kitchen and the dojo."

"A dojo?" Celine exclaimed. "Just how big is this submarine?"

"Well I've never been on another submarine, but my guess is this one is bigger than an average one," Jonah replied.

They finally arrived on the second level, and they stepped into another dark corridor. This place seemed to be dark rooms one after another. Jonah stopped at a junction. Celine was surprised to see that the junction was actually lit by lights.

"Down there we have the kitchen and the dining hall," Jonah pointed towards the left corridor. Then turned to right. "Dojo's on that side, and sleeping quarters up front."

They started moving forward again.

"We've never had a female on board before but we do have a couple of spare bedrooms," Jonah briefed. "… Okay this is it."

Jonah stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned to his left. There was a door that Celine hadn't noticed before he stopped. Jonah opened the door and let her through first.

The room was sizeable, it was almost the same size as her old bedroom back on Kalmodo. Now she understood why the corridors were dark, in the bedroom there were large circular windows that covered the walls. On the outside of the submarine, lights were attached so the ocean would be visible. The room was pretty well lit as a matter of fact. There was a large bed centered in the room and a small dresser on the side, but other than that the room was pretty much empty.

"This is really nice," Celine smiled in approval.

"The lights were the Captain's idea," Jonah added. "It gets pretty dark underwater."

"Speaking of the captain, where does he frequent?" Celine asked, placing her bag down on the dresser.

"Level three," Jonah pointed towards the ground. "He usually stays in the med-bay but his bedroom is down there too."

"Ah, I see," Celine nodded.

"I'm afraid you'll have to use the crew's showers which is further up the hall," Jonah sounded sympathetic as he headed out the door. "But other than that, I'm sure you'll enjoy staying here. And after you've settled down, you should go see Captain Law."

"Alright, thank you Jo."

Jonah gave her one last smile before shutting the door behind him. Celine stood, and examined her room one last time before pulling off her cloak and gloves. It was rather hot in the submarine, even with the air ventilation. She walked over to the dresser and began to unpack her things. Sera seemed to have shoved whatever she could find in the bag, her clothes were there and her toiletries. It looks like she had everything she needed. Celine inwardly thanked her older sister. After folding her shirts, she shut the drawer and walked over to the window.

They must be really deep underwater now, there was no hint of sunlight when Celine looked above. Guess this was just something she had to get used to from now on. From her knowledge of the Grand Line, islands' distances could span from days of travelling to weeks. Though the next island should only be around two days away, which meant Celine would be under the sun in no time again.

With a smile, Celine sat on her bed and relaxed a little. Her whole day had been incredibly fast-paced and tense, perhaps now she could finally lay back and unwind.

A knock brought her back to reality. Hurriedly, Celine stood up and went to get the door. She peeked behind the small gap she opened. Shachi and Penguin stood at the doorway, they each had similar grins plastered on their face.

"Oh, hello," Celine smiled quickly. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"We were wondering if you're able to cook," Penguin said.

"Excuse me?" Celine opened the door wider.

"Cook," Shachi repeated, a small smile creeping on his face. "Jo has been responsible for the cooking since he arrived, but I'm sure you can do a much better job that him."

"Oh," Celine chuckled a little. "Sure, I can cook. I'm not as good as Sera or Bern but I'm sure I can cook up some nice meals for the crew."

"Perfect!" Penguin grinned. "We're gonna be eating good from now on!"

"I have to see the captain now," Celine told the two. "I'll start fixing dinner after I see him."

"Alright!" the two cheered. "We'll see you then!"

Celine watched the two head back down the hall with a small smile. The Heart Pirates were truly amusing – a spirited crew, a talking polar bear, and a mysterious captain. Celine just knew she was going to have an exciting time being on this crew.

After throwing on a sweater and her gloves, she headed down the hall towards the stairwell. Her eyes have adjusted well to the dark now and she was able to make out the steps, she walked to the last level carefully. At end of the steps there was a large door. Celine pushed the door open and winced her eyes shut. It was incredibly bright inside. Celine frowned slightly as she forced her eyes open, they strained to see properly under such bright surroundings after just getting used to the dark.

"Ah, Miss Celine," Law's voice appeared before her. "Have you settled in alright?"

"Yeah…" she nodded, blinking a few times. "So this is the med-bay?"

"Yes," he glanced around the room. "I'm a doctor, so I prefer to have a large med-bay."

"It's very impressive," Celine noted after finally getting used to the lighting.

There were rows of beds on either side and the room was equipped with high-end technology. Celine wouldn't have believed Law was a doctor if it weren't for the first-rate med-bay.

"It's also very bright."

"Yes," he replied with a slight shrug. "I find performing surgeries in the dark to be rather challenging."

"Are you being sarcastic?" Celine asked, a small smile forming.

"Perhaps," he titled his head to a side, his trademark smirk present. "How do you like your room?"

"It's very nice," Celine found herself repeating her words. There was simply no other word she could think of to describe it. "Though, I am feeling a little uneasy about sharing a bathroom with the rest of the crew."

"Oh, I'm sure a capable woman such as yourself will manage," Law struggled to keep a straight face.

"Right…" Celine rolled her eyes. "I should head back up, Shachi and Penguin has asked me to make dinner."

"I look forward to tasting your handiwork," Law said as he headed back down the med-bay.

**XoXo**

"Wait, what do you mean, _'you'll be taking over'_?" Jonah exclaimed. "I happen to actually like cooking!"

"I'm under the direct orders of Penguin and Shachi," Celine shrugged. "And as the newest member on board, I really don't think I should be disobeying orders."

"But-."

"How about this?" Celine sighed. "Why don't we both cook? Two pairs of hands are better than one right?"

Jonah agreed with the compromise and they began making dinner. Truthfully, Celine hadn't cooked in a long time. Sure she had to fill in on times when Sera's sick, but that was rarely. Celine and Jonah spoke as they worked, she learned that he was the newest addition to the crew before her and that he was the 'errand boy' for the crew. That meant he helped with the cleaning, cooking and assists the captain occasionally down at the med-bay.

"Bepo loves fish," Jonah explained. "If a meal goes without fish, he'll complain like no one's business."

"Really?" Celine giggled. "What about everyone else?"

"They eat whatever," Jonah disregarded casually. "But the captain is something else… he likes his meals light and always with a bottle of sake, except for breakfast of course."

"Light?" Celine repeated.

"Just nothing too greasy or oily," Jonah shrugged. "But he doesn't eat a lot so it's never a problem."

"I see…" Celine nodded. "I'm done with the rice, is there anything else you need help with?"

"Nah, I'm just about done," he shook his head. "There's a Den-Den Mushi by that counter, tell the crew dinner's ready."

"Alright."

Celine walked over and did as she was told. She was slightly startled when she realized the whole submarine rang with her voice.

"Okay, now let's get this to the table," Jonah pointed back at the large dining table.

Celine carried two plates of fried rice out to the table. Thankfully the dining hall was just outside the kitchen. When they walked out, most of the crew was already assembled. The only ones missing were Kane, his brother and the captain.

"Wow! Looks good!" Shachi's mouth watered as Celine placed the plates down.

Penguin and Shachi immediately dug in.

"So delicious!" the capped men sang.

"I'm glad you like it," Celine smiled. "But shouldn't you wait for everyone to get here first?"

"Ryuu and Kane are always late, and the captain eats downstairs in the bay," Penguin replied. "Speaking of which, you should probably take Captain's dinner down to him."

"Why can't Jo do it?" she glanced over at boy.

"I never said I couldn't," Jonah replied, heading back into the kitchen.

Both Shachi and Penguin stood up simultaneously and ran after Jonah into the kitchen. A couple of hushed words were thrown around inside before Jonah emerged looking rather dazed.

"Uh… on second thought I can't," Jonah said. "I… I need the bathroom."

With that last word, he ran out of the room. Not long after Shachi and Penguin exited the kitchen looking very pleased with themselves. They strolled back over to the table and started eating again.

"Yeah, as I was saying," Penguin grinned. "You probably shouldn't keep the captain waiting."

Celine eyed them in disbelief. Those two are in trouble when she gets back. She stomped into the kitchen and picked up the tray with Law's food, and headed to the med-bay.

Celine kicked the large door open, as she had no hands to spare. Blinking rapidly, she began to walk down the aisle.

"Over here, Miss Celine."

She followed the voice through an arch and eventually found Law sitting by a large work desk. She noted there was also a closed door at the very end of the room. Celine wondered just how big the captain's quarters are, she bet anything that he has a personal bathroom too.

Seeing Celine with the tray, Law picked up his papers and rolled his chair out of the way, giving her enough room to place down the tray. She stepped back and leaned back onto a tall cabinet. Law rolled back to his desk and placed his papers into a drawer.

Celine waited in anticipation as she watched Law pick up his fork. Celine had taken out a portion of the cooked fried rice before adding in the beef. So what Law's having was just fried rice with egg, that's as light as it gets.

"This is nice," Law commented after taking a bite.

It's as if a heavy weight was lifted off her shoulders. Celine smiled and stood back up.

"Good, I'm glad you like it," she said before heading back down the aisle.

"Wait, Miss Celine," Law called after her.

Celine stopped and turned around. Law was stood up and walking towards her.

"While you're upstairs, notify Jonah to come pick up my plates after he's done eating," Law told her. "And after you've finished eating and cleaned up, please come see me."

"Alright, but what's this for?" Celine asked.

"You'll find out when you get here," Law gave her one last smile before turning back into his office.

Celine thought about his request as she walked up. What could Law possibly want with her? And why ask Jonah to come down specifically? Shaking her head, Celine remembered that this was Trafalgar Law she was dealing with, who knows how his thoughts are processed.

Returning to the dining hall, she saw that Kane was sat down with a man that looked around her age. Bepo's plate was empty and he was gone, probably returned to his room.

"Hey Celine!" Shachi waved. "How did seeing the captain go?"

"Nothing special," Celine shrugged. "Though Jo? The captain did say he wants to see you after you're done eating, said he wants you to take his tray back up."

"Ooo," Shachi shoved Jonah slightly. "Cap's asked for you specially! Have you done something wrong recently?"

"Why is that a bad thing?" Celine asked, sitting down. "To pick up the captain's tray?"

"Normally the captain likes stay in the med-bay by himself," Kane replied. "But sometimes he'll ask for specific people to come down, and that usually means they're in trouble."

"Seriously?" Celine gulped, a little worried over herself now. "I just got here and he also asked me to come down later, do you think I'm in trouble?"

"Nah," Penguin chuckled. "You should be fine, the captain probably just wants some downtime with you."

"What was that?" Celine gave him a stern look.

"Oh nothing…" Penguin mumbled.

Things quieted down when they went back to eating. Celine scooped some rice onto her plate and ate in silence.

"I'm done," Jonah said as he stood up.

"Good luck!" Penguin and Shachi called after the boy as he left the room.

For the first time since she has walked in, the man called Ryuu looked up from his plate. He watched Jonah go with an amused look in his eyes, then his eyes darted around the table and eventually stopped on Celine.

"Hey, you're that girl with the magic fingers," he said with a small lopsided smile.

"W-what?" Celine choked.

Everyone else in the room turned silent as Celine coughed. She reached for a glass of water and gulped it all down in one go.

"Magic fingers?" Celine chuckled. "No one's called it that before."

"… You're not mad?" Shachi asked.

"No, why would I be?" Celine wasn't so sure she'd like the answer.

"Captain Law told us to keep quiet about your powers, he didn't want us to offend you or anything," Shachi replied

"I already told you earlier you dumbass," Kane elbowed his brother.

"Sorry…" Ryuu yawned as he stood up. "I'm going back to work."

"Yeah me too, I'm done," Kane walked after his brother. "Thanks for the food Celine."

"Thanks Celine," Ryuu said as he headed out the door. "Come visit us up on the observation deck sometime."

"Will do," she nodded back, and then she turned to the remaining two. "You boys done?"

"Yeah," they replied.

Celine began to gather the plates and cutlery up as the remaining two men stood up from their seats.

"How would you two feel about helping me with the dishes?" Celine smiled as she placed a hand on her hip.

"Uh…"

Penguin bolted out the door immediately, leaving behind a disorientated Shachi. Celine understood the look on his face and put on scowl.

"Don't you dare," she threatened. "You leave me and I'll poison all your meals."

"… Fine."

Shachi picked up a stack of dishes and followed Celine into the kitchen. Thank goodness they're crew was rather small and there wasn't much to wash. Jonah returned with the tray a couple of minutes later, looking rather pale.

"Hey, you alright?" Celine looked over at him from the sink.

"What did the captain say?" Shachi took the tray from his hands and handed it over to Celine. "Hey, you don't look so good. What happened?"

"I'm not allowed to say anything to anyone other than Celine," Jonah replied uneasily.

Shachi looked back and forth between Celine and Jonah and voted to leave. After Shachi left, Celine finished up the washing and walked over to Jonah.

"What did he want?" she asked.

"Uh… Captain Law has an experiment he would like to perform," Jonah explained.

"Experiment on what?" she eyed him peculiarly.

"You," he muttered uneasily.

"What?" her eyes narrowed.

"You should go, it's best you don't keep him waiting," Jonah looked Celine in the eye. "He's excited…"

**XoXo**

Law read through his plan of approach one last time as Celine walked into the room. Law stood up waited by the arch between the office and the med-bay.

"Good evening," Law smiled. "Miss Celine, follow me."

Law headed back into his and sat down. He motioned Celine to sit on the examining bed opposite him. She did as she was told without a word and waited for further instructions. Celine has been to the doctors when she was younger, and Law gave off the same professionalism as they did. Perhaps that's why she felt the need to listen to him obediently while in a doctor's office.

"Now, Miss Celine," Law bent forward and rested his elbows on his legs. His fingers laced together, those tattoos of his seem to jibe at her. "I'm sure you're wondering why I've called you down here."

Celine nodded.

"I'll be frank," he stood up. "I'm interested in your Tacchi-Tacchi no Mi. I've never seen someone die like Mister Zed had, and I just want to make a few observations on an experiment. Solely for medical purposes, of course."

"And does this have anything to do with Jonah?" Celine asked.

"He has agreed to assist with the said experiment," Law replied. "I promise Jonah will not meet death due to the experiment. I am a doctor and his captain after all."

"… Alright," she hopped off the bed. "But if we do this, we do it my way alright? If I feel the need to stop the experiment, then we'll stop, understood?"

"Understood," Law agreed. "Come down tomorrow before breakfast, you should go get some rest."

"Got it," Celine headed out.

"Don't be late tomorrow," he leaned on the arch. "And Miss Celine?"

"Hm?" she held back a yawn.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Law."

**XoXo**

That night, Celine couldn't sleep. There were numerous reasons to why she kept tossing and turning in bed. One, she hasn't washed yet as the showers were occupied by the males. She's decided that she'll take one tomorrow morning before heading down. Two, the lights that she loved so much before were blinding her. She had searched all over for a button or switch but found none. Three, Law's experiment has been on her mind since she got back in her room. On the upside, this would finally be a chance for her to understand her powers better, as all she's known about it before was to not touch anyone for too long. But on the downside, she'd be putting Jonah in danger. Even if Law insists on keeping it safe, accidents do happen.

Celine groaned as she rolled under her covers, a poor attempt in trying to hide from the bright lights. There had to be a button or switch somewhere, she just knew it. But for now she was too tired to care. She simply hid under the covers and tried to sleep, wishing the lights would go away.

* * *

The next morning, Celine woke up feeling as if she was suffocating. She kicked the sheets off and took deep breath, trying to regain her breath. Something seemed different. She rested an arm over her forehead and thought back over last night's events. Thought back over the things that bothered her.

Shower.

Lights.

Law.

The lights!

Celine sat up immediately and noticed the lights outside the window have been dimmed. Her first thought was that they get dimmed down automatically when it got later at night. Celine paid it no mind as she stood up and focused on her current problem – shower. She picked out a change of clothes and her toiletries bag.

Praying that it was empty, Celine pushed open the door to the showers. Celine was relieved to find the room empty. Half of the room was rows of showers and the other half was the toilets. Celine walked in and picked up a clean towel from a pile that was stacked on a counter. She noted that while there was a clean stack of towels as well as a giant pile of discarded used ones right next to it.

Celine crinkled her nose in distaste and walked in. Picking the cleanest looking shower booth she undressed, stepped in and shut the curtain behind her. A shower was exactly what she needed to wake her up in the morning, Celine was starting to consider taking one every morning.

After she was done, she twisted the tap shut and pulled the curtain open. She reached for the towel that she left on the hook outside. Celine dried herself off and wrapped the towel around her body.

The door swung open and someone walked in.

'_No. No. No. This can't be happening.'_

Celine held her breath and slowly turned around. Ryuu was standing by the door in his pajamas, eyes open wide and a hand under his shirt.

"… Sorry," he murmured quickly before dashing out.

Celine pushed the thought away from her mind and pretended the events just now didn't occur. She got changed right away and dumped her towel onto the pile. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her toothbrush. She turned to the sink and noticed her face had turned bright red.

'_Oh jeez.'_

**XoXo**

Law tapped his index finger on the table at a steady pace. Jonah had arrived five minutes ago and now they were just waiting for Celine to show up. Maybe it's too early, perhaps she's still asleep in her room. Law wondered if he should send Jonah up there to check on her. Before he could say anything, Celine walked in with her hair still wet and looking rather flustered.

Law smiled. There was definitely a story behind that interesting shade of pink tinted on her cheeks. Something that occurred in the showers perhaps…

"Good morning," she murmured to the two.

"Good morning Miss Celine," Law returned the greeting. "I must say you're looking rather red this morning, are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled while tying her hair up. "Anyway, shall we get started?"

"Yes, right away," Law nodded and turned to Jonah. "Would you please sit down on that bed Jonah?"

He did as he was told and sat down on one of the many beds in the med-bay.

"Miss Celine?"

Law directed her to sit on the bed opposite the one Jonah's on.

"Miss Celine, I need you to take your glove off."

Celine watched Jonah's breath hitch as she pulled the glove off.

"Do your thing."

Celine glanced over at Law and saw that he had his eyes on her, his undivided attention, watching her every move. Celine took a deep breath and turned to Jonah. He looked unsure, almost as if he was scared. Celine held out a hand and waited for him to take it. The boy seemed to be chanting something under his breath as he eyed her hand. Jonah reached out and grasped onto Celine's palm.

It didn't feel right.

Celine wasn't used to skin-to-skin contact but it didn't take an expert to know that it felt wrong. Jonah's hand was shaking and his eyes stayed locked onto their hands.

"Five."

"Four."

Celine looked over at Law. He was leaned over closer, watching the hand, anticipating the moment when it happens.

"Three."

Law whispered, his face just inches away from their hands.

"Two."

Celine looked up and saw Jonah squeezing his eyes shut. Now showing his obvious obscure fear. She pulled her hand away quickly before Law could mutter the next number.

"Celine?" Jonah's eyes snapped up to her.

"You don't want to do this," she stated.

"…" Jonah's eyes darted over at his captain briefly before looking back at her. "No, it's not that. I'm just a bit nervous, that's all."

"Leave Jo," she said. "If you didn't want to do this and you should just have said so."

"But-."

"It's alright, Jonah," Law nodded. "You can go, please start making breakfast for the crew."

"Yes, captain."

Jonah took his hand back and held it as he ran towards the door. His footsteps echoed throughout the med-bay. Law said nothing but took the spot across from Celine. Her mouth went dry as she realized he was waiting for her to speak first.

"I'm sorry," she looked up. "It didn't feel right, he was afraid."

"Surprisingly observant, Miss Celine," Law remarked. "Yes, I also felt he only agreed out of the feeling of obligation."

"You're not upset?" she asked.

"No," he smiled. "We had an agreement, if you wanted to stop then we'd stop."

"It's not that," she put her glove back on. "I do want to find out more about my powers, I always have. I want to know if there's a way to control it better or even get rid of it. You have no idea what it's like not being able to hug your family or be intimate with a loved one."

"You want your powers gone permanently?" Law asked, somewhat startled by her sudden outburst.

"I mean if there's a way, I'd be happy to try it," she shrugged. "If it doesn't hurt…"

Law laughed at her last remark and stood up.

"I'm pretty sure that's not how Devil Fruits work, Miss Celine," he reached his hand out towards her. She took it albeit hesitantly. "Once you eat the fruit, it's forever… Well at least until you die."

"I don't have plans to die anytime soon," Celine said as Law helped her off the bed.

"Let's hope not," Law replied. "That'd be most unfortunate."

A small smile tugged on Celine's lips as he said those words. She looked down at her gloved hand over in large one. The same warm feeling came back to her, like that time when she killed a man while looking directly in his eyes. Slowly, Celine pulled her hand back.

"In the past, has there been a someone you couldn't be intimate with?" he asked, dropping his hand to his side.

"Why do you ask?" she smirked slightly.

"I ask because I'm curious," Law retorted at her obvious implication.

"There might have been one or two," she hinted with a complacent grin. "I don't kiss and tell, Captain."

"It doesn't make a difference if I find out now or not," he nodded as he walked towards his office. "I'll find out eventually anyway."

"You know Law," she called after him. "You're awfully presumptuous about someone you barely know."

"And you, Miss Celine, have a remarkably indecorous attitude towards your captain," he waved back.

"I'm sorry, would you prefer it if I addressed you as Captain Law from now on?" she crossed her arms.

"Sure," he turned back and gave her a satisfied grin. "I admit I do like the sound of that."

"Alright then, Captain," she stomped towards the staircase.

Oh god. How did it get to this? Just when Celine thought she was making some progress with Law, they were back to square one. It was his fault anyway; if he weren't so arrogant then maybe she'd answer his question.

"Miss Celine!"

She stopped mid-step and grinned.

"I'll be waiting for breakfast!"

Her grin dropped and she continued stomping up the staircase. All of Law's questions will go unanswered from now on.

**XoXo**

Something was definitely up with Jonah and Ryuu. That, everyone concluded when they arrived at the dining hall. It was normal for Jonah to be under the dumps as he had just spoken to the captain last night, and everyone knew the captain's wrath. But for Ryuu, this was different. The guy was quiet normally but now he wouldn't even utter a word when spoken to. Everyone's first guess was it had something to do with the new female on board.

Speaking of the devil, Celine walked through the door looking like she could kill someone. She sat herself down next to Jonah and helped herself to some pancakes.

"You all right Jo?" she finally spoke up.

"Yeah, thanks for that earlier…" he nodded back quickly. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything."

"No harm done," she shrugged.

"Hey, so Celine," Shachi said. "How about you take the captain's food down-."

"No, thank you," she snapped. "I think I've had enough of Captain Law for a day. You can take it down to him."

'_Uh-oh.'_

Penguin and Shachi exchanged knowing glances. Their plan to get the captain and Celine together had been running smoothly until just now.

"Did something happen with you two?" Penguin gulped.

"Nothing worth talking about," she scowled slightly.

Okay, so they weren't going to get anymore out of her today. Penguin turned his attention over to Jonah who looked guilty the whole time Celine was sat next to him. He turned to Shachi and whispered a few words.

"Say Jonah," Shachi glanced over at the boy. "Have you been practicing those moves we showed you?"

"Yeah, the boy nodded back.

"Then let's head to the dojo," Penguin stood from his chair. "We'll teach you some new moves."

Jonah agreed immediately and the three set off to the dojo, the boy oblivious to the fact that a long interrogation awaits him once they're out of sight. Kane sighed as he watched the three go, they'd completely forgotten about the captain's food. He stood up lazily and headed in the kitchen. When he walked back out with the tray he received looks from both Celine and his younger brother.

"Someone's gotta do it," Kane shrugged, heading out.

The incident in the shower played over Celine's head, she looked up at Ryuu warily and saw that he had the same look on his face. They were definitely thinking the same thing.

"So, where's Bepo?" she tried asking casually.

"He's still asleep," he replied, avoiding eye contact. "And uh-, I'm sorry for this morning. I didn't know you were there."

"… I guess it was kind of my fault," Celine shrugged. "Don't worry about it… we should just sort of a schedule or something."

"Yeah," he nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "If it helps, I didn't see anything I found that captivating."

"… I don't see how that helps," she chuckled back. "It seems more like an insult than compliment."

"Take it however you like," he yawned, stretching his arms out. "I'm heading back upstairs."

"You were yawning last night too," she noted. "Did you not sleep well?"

"No, I'm heading to bed right now," he replied. "Kane and I take turns steering the sub, he works it during the day and I take over at night."

"Oh," she nodded as she began stacking the plates. "I thought you'd have auto-pilot on a submarine such as this one."

"Something I overlooked while designing," he shrugged, walking towards the door.

"You designed this submarine?" she queried.

"That's right," he glanced back at her. "My brother and I built it together back in North Blue."

"I have one last question about the submarine," she said.

"Shoot," he rubbed the back of his head sluggishly.

"Do the lights on the outside dim automatically at night?"

"What? No," he scoffed. "There's a small dial you turn to dim the lights. It should be somewhere by your bed."

"What? Seriously?" Celine felt like an idiot now. "Is it really inconspicuous or something? Because I searched that room over and didn't find a thing."

"No, it just sounds like someone's careless," he shrugged, turning away. "And sorry again."

"You're forgiven as long as you never mention it again," she nodded.

"You got it," he yawned again as he disappeared through the door.

Celine picked up Ryuu's plate and added it onto the pile. It seems there were a lot of things she has yet to learn about the crew and her new home. If what Ryuu said was true and there was a dial somewhere, then that could only mean someone had wandered into her room and dimmed the lights. The only creeps she could think of were Shachi and Penguin. Celine shook at that thought, they better not had come in her room. She was definitely locking the door tonight.

Just as she was about to bring the dishes in, Bepo strolled in. The polar bear glanced around and realized at once that everyone else was gone. His ears drooped slightly and he walked over to Celine.

"Am I late?" he asked.

"Yeah," Celine nodded, placing the plates back down.

"I'm sorry…"

Celine sighed and picked the plates back up again.

"What can I make you?"

Bepo smiled and followed Celine into the kitchen.

* * *

In the dojo, Shachi and Penguin had poor Jonah cornered against a wall.

"You're going to tell us everything," Shachi murmured.

"Please stop it," Jonah frowned. "You two are being really creepy."

"Just tell us what happened down at the med-bay this morning," Penguin snapped.

"Nothing," Jonah insisted. "Seriously, if you're so curious why don't you go ask Captain Law yourselves?"

"Jeez, we just want to know what happened, not sign our death wish," Shachi rolled his eyes. "So you're really not going to tell us?"

"No," Jonah affirmed.

"Say Penguin," Shachi turned to his friend. "Do you remember two days ago when we fought that sea king?"

Jonah gulped and glared at them.

"Yes, and Captain Law had to fix his equipment after just defeating the sea king," Penguin nodded.

"But I don't remember the sea king bumping into the submarine or anything," Shachi glanced over at Jonah. "In fact, I remember a certain someone was responsible for cleaning up down there after the last patient…"

"Now Jo," Penguin grinned at the boy. "We're not saying we'll tell on you, but if I were you, I'd be very careful with how I choose to answer the next question."

Jonah frowned and nodded for them to carry on.

"Will tell us what happened this morning?"

Jonah closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"It started last night when Captain Law told me he had an experiment he wanted to perform with Celine…"

* * *

**So yeah… Penguin and Shachi are obviously plotting something. And wow! The response I got from last chapter was incredible! I got 11 reviews for a single chapter in a new story! That's really, really amazing! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorited and alerted!**

**And please if anyone has any ideas of what could happen on the upcoming islands please feel free to leave me a review or PM me, that'd be real great! :D**

**Replies to anon messages:**

Icy-Blood-Lily – Haha, is that an actual thing? Well she did kinda(?) get rescued :P Thank you and I'm glad you like it!

anon – Thank you for your review! Much appreciated! :)


	3. Pangala Island

**One Piece**

**_The Five Second Rule_**

**_Chapter Three: Pangala Island_**

* * *

For the past two days, Law has noticed a certain change in his crew's behavior. When it was time for a meal, it would be either Shachi or Penguin that brought the food down. And each time, they'd comment on how lovely Celine's cooking was, very cynical on their part. Though he had to admit, the food was better than before.

According to Celine, they should be arriving onto the next island any time today. The next island was supposedly inhabited by another group of villagers. Small towns occupy the first couple of islands all over the Grand Line, it's not until you get further in when you discover vacant islands that hide vast amounts of treasure and gold. The kind of islands that all avid pirates were expecting from the Grand Line.

"So, do you know anything about the next island?" Kane asked, glancing over at Celine who was staring intently out the window.

They were perched on top level, the observation deck. Celine had visited like she said she would, and was sat on the second seat by the controls.

"Nothing," she replied. "I've never been off Kalmado before. Though I hear from travellers it's just another old town."

"Doesn't sound too exciting," Kane mumbled. "We heard amazing stories about the Grand Line, islands with talking animals, and islands in the sky…"

"Yeah well, I only live here," she leaned back on her seat. "I can't do anything about it."

"I suppose not," Kane cracked a grin.

"Does your brother always sleep here?" Celine asked.

Kane glanced over to her briefly before looking back. Ryuu was sound asleep in a makeshift hammock towards the end of the room, the hammock was tied up to two pipes which were a little too close to each other causing the strings and fabric to shrink down. It looked more like a swing chair than a hammock, but amazingly enough Ryuu made do with it, sleeping soundly in the hybrid chair-bed.

"Yeah, he pulled that hammock out of nowhere and decided he was gonna sleep here," Kane sighed. "The guy's like a hermit, he doesn't leave the deck unless he needs the bathroom or when it's time to eat. If he had his way then I bet he'd get someone to bring up his meals as well."

"Yeah?" Celine leaned her head back and stared at the small bundle at the end of the room. "It doesn't look very comfortable…"

"Oh, trust me, it's not," Kane chuckled. "He offered to let me use it while he's working, my back hurt the next day. But Ryuu can sleep through anything."

"Did you two come from the same place the captain did?" she placed her feet on the dashboard.

"No," Kane eyed her warily. "Feet down."

Celine looked over and held his gaze daringly, unwilling to step down just yet. Kane's eyes narrowed and made it clear he wasn't going to say anymore unless his demand was complied. Celine slid her feet off grudgingly and Kane smiled, turning back to the steering wheel.

"We're all from North Blue though," he revealed. "Ryuu and I are from an island called Malvarma, we helped our dad build ships. One day a man with a talking polar bear arrived on the island on a little rowboat."

Celine smiled, knowing full well just who the said man was. It was hard to miss someone that travels with a talking animal.

"And?"

"Well he asked my dad if he would build him a pirate ship, but my dad was a real prude, told him no," Kane went on. "But then Ryuu came up to Law and showed him his plans for his submarine. My dad has always said no to Ryuu's submarine plans, said they were too far-stretched and we should stick with conventional ships, but Law agreed to it… so that's how we got to be members of the Heart Pirates."

"Well, it's a better story than mine," she chuckled. "Being chased off my own island by pirates who want me dead…"

"You're definitely a valued member," Kane smiled slightly. "Food's definitely gotten better."

"Is that seriously the only thing I'm acknowledged for?" Celine rolled her eyes, feet finding their way back onto the dashboard.

"Celine… put your-."

"You know Kane," Celine spoke up, cutting him off. "It's really nice up here, before getting on this submarine I've never actually seen the ocean underwater before."

"Yeah?" Kane glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "It must be terrible not being able to swim."

"It's not too bad," she sighed. "… Are we there yet?"

"Aren't you the one that grew up on the Grand Line?" Kane laughed.

"Yeah, but I've never been off the island," she reminded him.

Celine sat in silence as she observed the hundreds of fishes swimming outside the window, whilst Kane checked the log pose. She yawned as a school of colourful fish swam by. Though the deck was lit up rather well, the dark blue underwater tint was getting her drowsy.

"Hey Celine, don't fall asleep now," Kane said.

"And why not?" she muttered back.

"Cuz' we're here."

Celine snapped her eyes open, and as Kane said they were nearing an island.

"Everyone, we should be able to surface in a few short minutes," Kane spoke into a microphone. Then he turned to Celine and handed her the log pose "Here take this and give it to the captain."

"Why can't you do it?" she glowered.

"Why can't you?" he glanced back at her.

"… I never said I couldn't."

Celine rose from her seat and headed downstairs. The past days, she'd been able to successfully avoid her captain with the help of Shachi and Penguin who seemed determined to deliver the captain's meals every time. It didn't bother Celine too much as that meant she wouldn't have to see Law.

When she arrived on the first level, she saw that everyone had already assembled and were awaiting the captain. Celine took her place next to Jonah quickly and stared ahead ignoring the odd glances Shachi and Penguin were giving her.

"Where have you been all morning?" Jonah asked.

"I was up with Kane," Celine replied. "I haven't been up on the observation deck before, so I thought I should check it out. It's really nice up there."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Jonah grinned. "We don't normally go up there though, because both Ryuu and Kane get really annoyed if we bother them."

"Huh, weird," she noted. "Where's Captain?"

"He should be on his way up," he shrugged back.

Ominous footsteps could be heard approaching up the stairs. Celine hadn't seen Law since their little dispute down at the med-bay, and she's been finding every excuse to avoid going down there. Not the most mature route of action but it's not like he's been ardent to talk to her either, in fact, he hasn't left the med-bay the whole time.

Law emerged from the dark stairwell, his hat on and sword propped over his shoulder. He eyed his crew with a lazy smile.

"Alright, so we've arrived on our second island in the infamous Grand Line," Law spoke up. "As usual, Shachi, Penguin and Bepo will help Jonah stock up on food. Miss Celine and I have our own shopping to do. "

Celine stared at him wide eyed. Just what kind of shopping did he have in mind? She gulped as she watched said the boys and bear head upstairs, leaving her behind with Law.

"Good afternoon, Miss Celine," Law acknowledged with a nod.

"Good afternoon, Captain Law," she nodded back, her address sounding bitter. "Here, Kane has asked me to hand this over to you."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the log pose. Quickly she placed it onto her captain's open palm.

"Yes, I suppose we should also find out how long the pose will take to set while we're in town," Law strapped the pose around the sheath of his sword. "Shall we go?"

"Where exactly are we going?" Celine followed after Law.

"In town," he replied, as they walked up the dark staircase.

"But why am I going with you?" she frowned at the darkness.

"You don't remember?" he chuckled.

Celine almost groaned at his laughter. While she was struggling with each step, he's able to laugh, having no trouble at all.

_'I suppose it is his ship…'_

"Remember what?" she asked. When no reply came and the footsteps ceased, she grew anxious. "… Captain? Captain? Law? … Law, are you- oof!"

Celine rubbed her nose as she realized that she has walked into her captain's back… again, in practically the same circumstances.

"Now do you remember?" he voiced.

"Yes…" she mumbled, feeling rather embarrassed. "We have to get lights for the staircases…"

"Correct," he replied, pushing the hatch door open. "Our best bet would be to ask the town's shipwrights if they're willing to sell us the needed parts. Then Kane and Ryuu should be able to manage the rest."

"Right, got it Cap," she walked onto the deck.

Like she hoped, the sun was high in the sky, rejuvenating her from the slight feeling of cabin fever. Law stood by the edge of the deck, watching her stretch under the sun. The only thing on his mind was how hot she must have been under that cloak of hers.

"Miss Celine," Law cleared his throat. She snapped her attention to him immediately. "Shall we?"

"Of course," she quickly walked over and climbed off the submarine.

This island wasn't a lot different from Kalmado Island, they shared the same long beaches, scorching climate, and Celine was hoping they'd have a friendly town too.

Law hummed quietly as they walked along the beach. He was taller than her, and his legs longer therefore his strides were larger. This made it difficult for Celine to keep up with his pace, but he would slow down occasionally when she was drifting behind.

"Earlier," he glanced over at her, that smirk of his present. "You had called me by my name instead of captain."

"I apologize for that, Captain Law," she grumbled.

"I was joking," Law turned back to face the beach. "You take things much too seriously, Miss Celine."

"No, I don't," she trailed after him.

"And you're stubborn too."

Celine clicked her mouth shut followed Law quietly. There he goes again, being all presumptuous about her. What did he know about her? Probably just that she has some pitiful power and that she's not very bright. Well two can play it that game.

Law's obviously no prize either. He hides all that arrogance under a mask of politeness and clever words. Also, he's a weird guy that hangs around his medical bay all day, everyday, doing god knows what. Plus seeing his disregard for others during that fight outside the inn, he was probably a psychopath too. Not to mention he's got some strange tattoos…

Celine shook her head.

_'Oh, I give up.'_

* * *

"I still don't understand why you two are so keen on playing cupid," Jonah sighed.

"Why not?" Penguin replied.

"Yeah, we've never seen the captain take an interest in any girl before," Shachi said. "And don't tell me you didn't see those flirty eyes they were giving each other all night at the inn back on the other island."

"What's flirty?" Bepo asked.

"It just means the captain really likes Celine," Penguin replied.

"They were both drinking then," Jonah rolled his eyes. "So, I don't know, maybe they were drunk?"

Shachi and Penguin eyed the boy blankly then turned to each other.

"That's not it," they concluded together.

Jonah ignored the two as they finally arrived at the town. A sign read 'Welcome to Pangala Island'. The four looked around and spotted the grocery store easily. Bepo was once again asked to wait outside by Shachi, the polar bear slumped down on the ground and crossed his arms.

The trio stepped in and began picking out the needed ingredients. Jonah tried to concentrate on his task but found it difficult with the older members plotting more plans to get the captain together with the new crewmember.

"Guys, I really don't think we should be meddling with the captain's affairs," Jonah walked over.

"Can it Jo," Shachi shoved a box of apples towards Jonah. "Anything else we need?"

"Uh… no, we should be fine for the next two weeks," he replied, checking everything they've picked out. "I'll go pay and you two can bring the crates back with Bepo."

Jonah walked over to the counter and handed over the money. The young lady manning the cashier took the money with a smile.

"You're pirates aren't you?" she asked, sorting the change.

"That obvious?" Jonah chuckled as he received his change.

"When a new faces appears on the island, it's always either pirates or marines, and you boys don't look like marines," she replied.

"I guess not," he nodded, heading out the door. "One more thing, how long does the pose take to set?"

"Around three to four days," she said. "We have a nice inn that you could stay at."

"It's up to the captain," Jonah shrugged. "But thanks anyway."

The lady waved back and Jonah headed out the store, the three were already gone with the crates. Maybe he could take a small break around town before heading back, the captain should be busy at the moment anyway and he's already completed his job.

Jonah headed downtown to see what he could find. There were a lot more buildings and houses than there were on the last island, but that also meant there were more people. Jonah weaved through the crowds and sat down on a bench by the market.

"You look hot under there."

That voice, Jonah could recognize it anywhere. He turned around slowly and saw Captain Law with Celine. They were further away near a more crowded part of the market. They haven't noticed Jonah at all.

"What?" she looked up at him, questioning look on her face.

"Aren't you hot wearing that cloak?" Law rephrased.

"I thought we've already spoken about this," Celine replied, tugging on her cloak. "It's a necessity."

"Yes, but have you ever not thought that as long as you don't make contact with someone for over five seconds then you wouldn't harm them?" Law suggested.

"What if there's an accident?" she crossed her arms. "What if I were to fall unconscious and you have to carry me back? You wouldn't even be able to get out of the market."

"Do you really doubt me that much, Miss Celine?" Law cracked a smile. "Trust me, if one of my crewmembers were to be in danger, I'd do everything I can to get them back to safety."

"You sound so confident," she jeered, leaning in closer. "But can you really live up to your words?"

"As I said, I'll do everything I can," Law looked her in the eye.

"Fine," she sighed, pulling her cloak off and folding the fabric. "What you said earlier does make sense, and the chances of me falling unconscious are very unlikely."

"Exactly," he nodded. "Now that that's out of the way, where are the shipwrights located?"

"You're the one that suggested we check in the market, maybe we should-,"

Celine paused when she felt someone brush past her. Law eyed her expectantly when she stopped talking. Celine glanced back at the man that just walked past her. He looked completely fine while he carried on walking, not turning purple and his movements were normal. The man eventually disappeared into the crowd and Celine smiled.

"Sorry," she said as she turned back to Law. "I was saying maybe we should ask around."

Law agreed and the two walked further into the crowds. Jonah who has been watching intently the whole time, released his held breath and turned back around. Though he hated to admit it, he had to agree with Penguin and Shachi. Those two, no matter how they may interact, were perfect for one another.

Deciding that he better return to the submarine now, Jonah stood up and headed back to the beach. Maybe, just maybe, he'll join Penguin and Shachi on their quest to bring Captain Law and Celine together.

* * *

Later that night, Law and Celine came back. Kane and Ryuu were called down to the deck, where Law instructed them to head down to the shipwrights' factory to pick up the equipment. The brothers (with Ryuu still half asleep) headed down to the factory immediately to get the job done.

Celine and Law returned to the first level where rest of the crew was resting after carrying all those crates back. The first thing everyone noticed was Celine's cloak was off and her arms were bare. Second thing, her and the captain seemed to be on better terms.

Shachi and Penguin exchanged smug looks.

"Is everything stocked up?" Law asked.

"Yes, Captain," Jonah saluted.

"Good lad," Law smiled. "And it seems we'll have to stay on this island for a couple of days before the log pose is set. So for the time being, the rest crew gets shore leave while Kane and Ryuu works on the submarine."

"Alright!" Shachi cheered.

"Let's go find some cute girls!" Penguin headed for the stairwell.

"Though, I expect you all to behave while we're here," Law eyed the two with a smirk. "We don't need marines on our tail."

"Understood, Captain!"

The two ran up the stairs, dragging Jonah with them. Bepo who has been listening patiently up till this point, went back to sleep upon realizing nothing was needed from him. Law smiled and sat down next to Bepo.

"They're very spirited," Celine noted, sitting down next to him.

"I agree," Law placed his sword down. "Are you not going to enjoy the shore leave?"

"I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy the upcoming few days," she nodded back. "But right now, I'm a little worn out."

"Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, it's not that," she shook her head. "By the way, the men at the factory said the log pose would take about four days to set, right?"

"Yes," he untied the pose from his sword.

"Do you remember, back on Kalmado, I killed that pirate Zed?" Celine asked.

"I do," he played with the delicate instrument in his hands. Passing the glass sphere between his hands. "Does this have something to do why you joined my crew?"

"Well, yes," she nodded curtly. "Sera woke me up that afternoon and told me that there were pirates looking for me, for killing Zed… And by the way, Sera said it was your fault and she's going to beat you up the next time she sees you."

Law laughed.

Not a snide smirk or a quiet chuckle. He really laughed. Almost dropping the pose, he held the sword for support. Celine sat dumbfounded at her captain's sudden outburst.

"… Law?"

"Sorry," he recomposed himself. "Your sister is going to beat me up? I can't begin to describe how silly that sounds."

"That's what she said," Celine shrugged. "And you shouldn't laugh. Sera can get really scary when she's mad."

"If she gets as frightening as you, then I suppose I should be afraid," he smiled again.

"… I'm going to ignore that," Celine crossed her legs. "My point is, it only takes two days to reach this island from Kalmado, then the pirates that are after me should be here any day now."

"That's what your concerned over?" Law scoffed. "If Zed's friends are anything like Zed then we'll have very little problems. More importantly, was it alright to leave your family behind?"

"Sera said they were only interested in me, and that they wouldn't bother with them," Celine sighed, quietly doubting her older sister's words. "… If the pirates really try something, there are marines on the far side of the island, but I don't know… I hope they're alright."

"Hm," Law turned his attention back to the pose. "They're fine. You said it yourself, your sister's tough and I'm sure your brother can put up a good fight."

"Yeah, you're right," Celine uncrossed her legs with a smile. "What about you? Does your family live in North Blue?"

"I don't have much of a family to speak about," Law averted his gaze to her. "My parents passed early on, I don't remember them at all. I lived with my uncle for most of my childhood. He was the village's doctor, I learned from him. But he passed not long after I turned fifteen."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Celine dipped her head slightly.

"It's alright," he looked back down. "I was very indulged my doctor practice, plus I had Bepo to keep me company."

Celine didn't speak for a moment. How was she supposed to reply something like that? Apologize for asking again and try to move on?

"I must ask," Celine tried to suppress a smile. "Has Bepo always been able to speak?"

"Yes," Law nodded. "I found him abandoned as a cub outside the village."

"Bepo must be really thankful to you," Celine noted.

"Ah, yeah. I guess so," Law sighed, hiding his smile as he stood up. "Miss Celine, would you cook me something?"

"Oh right, of course," Celine watched Law pick his sword up as she stood up. She followed Law down the stairs. "Anything you want specifically?"

"No."

Law said nothing more when they reached the second level, he just carried on walking down. Celine chewed her bottom lip in frustration and walked towards the kitchen. The minute she thinks she's gotten through to Law, he ignores her again.

Arriving in the kitchen, Celine noticed that there was a pile of crates stacked messily in the corner. Celine heaved the individual crates off each other and unlocked them. First crate contained apples, the second crate contained apples, and the third crate _also _contained apples.

"Uh…"

What was she supposed to make with just apples? She then realized that this was all the doing of Jonah, Penguin and Shachi. They must have messed up somehow and bought three crates of apples. She'll have to deal with them later, right now she'll have to find some way to explain to Law why she can't make his dinner.

Taking a deep breath, Celine pushed the door to open. To her surprise, someone was already sat down at the table.

"That was quick," Law unfolded his arms.

"W-what are you doing here?" she demanded.

"I figured with the whole crew gone, I'll finally be able to eat in the dining hall in quiet," he replied. "Speaking of which, where is the food?"

"Give me a moment."

Celine scurried back into the kitchen and glanced around the whole room. The only kind of food she could see were the three giant crates of apples. Celine groaned and reached for an apple in the crate. She returned with the apple in hand and placed it down on the table. Law inspected the fruit then gave Celine a look, she just nodded and crossed her arms.

"Is this it?" he asked, reaching for the apple.

"There's more where that came from," Celine said. "Three more crates in fact."

"Three crates of apples?" Law sounded amused though he kept a straight face.

"Yeah," she sighed, taking her seat across from him. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing left in the kitchen."

"It's not your mistake," he shook his head. "Shall we go out then?"

"What do you have on mind?" she smiled.

"I'm sure we'll find someplace to eat," Law stood up and placed the apple in his pocket. "If we're lucky we might bump into those four. They've got some explaining to do."

**XoXo**

Celine sat nervously as she waited for Law to return. She had to admit, this inn gets a lot more business then theirs did back on Kalmado. The place was full of people, both local villagers and pirates alike. The waitress had placed them on a table far back, and Law has gone to speak the bartender.

They ran into Ryuu and Kane and their way back with the parts. Law had instructed them to come to the inn after they've dropped the parts off, but they're really taking their time. She really wished she brought her cloak with her, wearing just a shirt and trousers with her gloves made her feel rather bare. Sitting up from her seat, she glanced around and saw Law by the counter still talking to the bartender. What could he possibly be talking about? Seriously, he asked her to come to the inn and now he's off talking to some stranger.

"Hey doll."

Celine shook at the sound of the gruff voice. Of course this would happen. At a place like this, with slobbery men everywhere, it was almost inevitable. Celine turned around and looked over her shoulder. A group of men on the next table were watching her, but they looked like normal villagers though.

"Can I help you?" she forced a smile.

"We were hoping you'd join us for drinks," the blond man asked. "All friendly, of course."

"I'm sorry, but I'm here with my captain," Celine replied sheepishly. "And the rest my crew should be here soon."

"Aw come on," another man grinned. "I'm sure they can spare you for a few minutes."

When Celine didn't reply, the man placed a large hand on her arm. Celine jolted and tried to pull her arm free.

_'One.'_

"Please, let go," Celine shook her head.

The man's gripe did not falter. Celine turned to the counter and looked for any signs of Law. Both the bartender and Law were gone.

_'Two.'_

_'Where the hell are you, Law?'_

Celine used her free hand to pick at the man's fingers, attempting to pry them off desperately. It was useless, her strength could not even compare to his.

_'Three.'_

"Hey, what's wrong? You don't look so good doll."

Oh the irony.

She clenched her teeth as she tugged her arm. The grip around her arm only grew tighter. Just where could Law be at a time like this? Celine closed her eyes as she counted the fourth number.

"Hey, you got a death wish or something?"

Celine looked up and saw Kane and Ryuu towering over the group of men. They both looked tired and sweaty, they must have done some work before coming over. Ryuu had his hair hidden under a red bandana and his jumpsuit unzipped until his waist, and the sleeves tied around his waist. Wearing only a single wife-beater, he looked intimidating, even with that sloppy smile. Kane reached forward and grabbed the man's wrist. He immediately flinched away and let go of Celine.

"You don't want to go messing with Celine," Ryuu grinned. "You hold her too long and she'll kill ya."

"W-what?" the man snatched his hand back.

"She's got magic fingers," Ryuu waved his fingers out in front of him.

The men stared back at him skeptically.

"Look, if you don't want to die, then I suggest you scram," Kane nodded towards the door.

The men took the advice and scampered out of the inn immediately. Only when they were stood up did Celine realize how tall the brothers were, both towered the men one head.

"Jeez, Celine," Kane sighed as he sat down. "We can't take our eyes off you for more than a moment."

"You think I asked to be bothered by those guys?" Celine scoffed. "It's all Law's fault anyway. He left me alone and then vanished."

"Does it hurt?" Ryuu asked, poking her sore arm.

"Don't do that!" Celine smacked his hand away. "Aren't you scared?"

Ryuu shrugged it off casually and he sat down next to his brother. The waitress walked by and took the boys' orders. The waitress then turned to Celine and gave a tedious sigh.

"And you?"

"Sake's fine, please."

The waitress nodded and headed back to the kitchen. Ryuu leaned back on his seat and stretched his arms out.

"Law sure put us through hell today," he yawned. "I'm glad we're not moving tonight."

"Was it a lot of work?" she asked.

"Not really, but I did fall over trying to attach the lights onto the ceiling," Ryuu replied, pulling off the bandana and shoving it into his pocket. "It was really dark in there you see, I sort of lost my balance."

"And who do you think you fell on, jackass?" Kane grumbled. "My backs going to hurt for the next few days."

The brothers exchanged square looks in silence. Celine watched them quietly, unsure of what to say. It was kind of her fault for asking Law to have the lights installed, but it's not like she meant for the two to get so worked up over it.

After a couple more moments of silence between the trio, Law returned to the inn with Shachi, Penguin, Jonah and Bepo in a tow. Law sat back down at the table where as the four sat on the table behind Celine, the one that has just been cleared out.

"Where were you?" Celine hissed.

"I had some business in the village," Law replied. "I also found those four wandering about."

The waitress then returned to their table with the brothers' food and Celine's sake, Law murmured a quick word to her before directing her to the other table.

"Are you not eating, Miss Celine?" Law watched her pour the sake.

"I lost my appetite," she replied. "I almost killed someone again."

"Seriously?" Law bit back a smile. "I was gone five minutes."

"You should have seen the guy, Cap," Ryuu smirked. "If he held her a moment longer, he would have started turning purple."

"I take it you two intervened?" Law turned to Kane, who nodded back. "Good, we don't need any unwanted attention."

The Heart Pirates turned their heads to the front of the inn when they noticed things have quieted down. A middle-aged man walked towards the dusty piano that sat in a corner. He tried out a few keys before placing his full hand on the keyboard. Not long later, a festive melody filled the room. People in the room began getting up to move to the front to dance to the music. Both Shachi and Penguin stood up to go ask a group of girls if they'd like to dance, both agreed immediately.

Celine watched a young girl approach their table, she held her hands behind her back and offered a shy smile towards Ryuu.

"Would you like to dance?" she asked, her voice rasp.

"I have a stomachache," Ryuu lied while pointing back at Kane. "But my brother would like to."

Ryuu turned to give his brother a complacent look. Kane stood up with a quiet sigh and escorted the girl back to the dance floor. The night went on with Celine, Law and Ryuu rejecting every person that came up to them. Though for Celine, it was for an entirely different reason. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but it'd be difficult to avoid skin contact while dancing. And as Law had said, they don't need any unwanted attention.

"Cap, why don't you ask Celine to dance?" Ryuu glanced over at Law.

"I'm fine where I am," Law lifted his sake cup.

Celine glared at the capped man, resisting every idea to kick him under the table. Turning back to Ryuu, she noticed that he was smiling at her in a very strange way.

"Why don't we dance?" he asked. "I promise to be careful."

He held out a hand and waited for her. Mentally, she weighed out the scenarios. If it were with someone who knew about her powers, they wouldn't purposely try to get themselves killed by risking to touch her. Accidentally bumping into someone shouldn't be a problem either with how upbeat the people are moving.

Celine stared at Ryuu's hand and quickly glanced over at Law, he gave her a passive look and as if he was waiting for her to move. Celine took his hand with her gloved one and he guided her onto the dance floor.

The remaining Heart Pirates, Jonah and Bepo, joined their captain at his table. Law gave them both civil smiles and returned to watching everyone else dance.

"Why aren't you up there, Captain?" Jonah asked, with the help of sake giving him the courage to speak Law.

"I could ask you the same question," Law smiled slightly. "A young man such as yourself should have no problem finding a partner."

"I'm pretty picky with girls," Jonah shrugged. "I don't see anyone I'm interested in."

"Hm…" Law reached over for Celine's flask of sake, after noticing that he was out.

"What about you, Captain?" Jonah took a sip from his cup. "See anyone you take a fancy to?"

"I might," Law replied. "But like you, I'm picky too."

"Are you drunk, Captain?" the polar bear spoke up.

"I'm getting there, Bepo," Law poured another cup. "Sake, Jonah?"

"Yes," the young boy nodded back.

"Now that you're drunk, are you going to make flirty eyes with Celine again?" Bepo asked.

"Flirty what?" Law turned to the bear.

"Eyes," Bepo said.

"No," Law made a face. "I'll be leaving now."

Law stood up and turned towards the door. He could really use a bath and some rest right now.

"Dining and dashing?"

Law turned back and wishing he hadn't, the pounding in his head grew distinct. Celine was stood in front of him, panting slightly, face very rosy. Behind her Ryuu was walking back to the table, paying no attention to Law.

"Please, Miss Celine," Law smiled. "Do you think a man of my stature would dine and dash?"

"Well no matter how polite you may act, you are still a pirate," she countered with a smile. "Just wanted a heads up if you were going to run off and leave us with the bill."

"… I've taken care of it earlier," Law replied, turning towards the door again. "I'm going to head back."

"Are you going to be alright?" she followed him, placing a hand on his back. "Do you want me to come with?"

"No," he brushed her off.

Celine mouthed a quiet oh, and headed back to the inn. Law watched her go in silence and sighed. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the apple from earlier. It's been a long day, and if he wants to get up on time tomorrow then he'll have to go back now. Law wondered if having the new crewmember around was really worth all the trouble. Sure, she cooks well and possesses a fascinating power, but now he's going to have to deal with those pirates because of her.

Law smiled and took a bite from the fruit.

It was definitely worth the trouble.

**XoXo**

"Is the captain alright?" Ryuu asked when Celine returned.

"Yeah," she replied unsurely. "I think he's just a little tired."

"Tired like Jonah is?" Ryuu pointed at the young boy speaking gibberish to poor Bepo who looked a little alarmed.

"Uh no," Celine laughed. "Jo is way out of his mind."

"What?" Jonah perked up after hearing his name.

"We were just saying you should probably head back," Celine grinned. "Come on, I'll help you."

The words didn't reach Jonah as he just continued to stare blankly at the two. Celine rolled her eyes and stood up. Thank goodness that the whole Heart Pirates crew wore jumpsuits, if Jonah were wearing something other then Celine might have had some troubles holding onto him.

Celine slung Jonah's arm over her shoulder and lifted him off the chair. Taking a step forward, the weight of the boy made her stumble backwards.

"You're not very strong are you?" Ryuu sighed, walking over.

Ryuu took Jonah's other arm and slung it around his neck. Celine immediately felt the boy's weight lighten off her shoulder.

"What gave it away?" Celine chuckled.

Ryuu smiled then turned to Bepo.

"When my brother comes back tell him that we're heading back with Jonah first."

"Got it," Bepo nodded.

Celine felt rather useless once they began walking. It was Ryuu supporting most of Jonah, and his arm just felt like deadweight around Celine's shoulder. Celine almost grumbled when she realized how much stronger Ryuu was compared to her, or maybe it was just the big difference in their height.

"Are you boys always like this?" Celine asked.

"Boys?" Ryuu repeated, glancing over at her. "The whole crew is older than you… well apart from Bepo and Jo here."

"What?" Celine eyed him. "No way, what about Shachi and Penguin?"

"You're only eighteen," Ryuu mused. "They're both older."

"Who told you that?" she huffed, turning away.

"Your sister did," he replied. "Back on the other island, she threatened us all, said you were too young for any of us."

"Oh god," Celine shook her head. "And for your information, I turn nineteen in a few weeks."

"Hey, it's nothing to get mad about," Ryuu smirked. "I'm just telling you what your sister said."

"Did she embarrass me any further by saying more?" she looked his way.

"No further embarrassing was done," he replied.

"There better not have been."

**XoXo**

"Thanks for starting on the lights," Celine said as they walked down the corridor of the second level. "It would have been pretty dangerous carrying someone down those stairs in the dark."

"Only you'd have trouble over something like that," Ryuu jibed back as they entered the crew quarters.

"Shut up."

Celine watched as Ryuu tossed Jonah over his shoulder and onto the top of a bunk bed. He landed onto the mattress with a loud thud, his leg was dangled off the side and Ryuu punched the leg onto the bed. Celine wondered if Ryuu's doing more harm than good. The boy spluttered a few unheard words before falling back into slumber.

"Is it alright to just leave him like that?"

Ryuu evaluated his handiwork in silence then shrugged back candidly. Without another word, he headed back out the room. Celine gave Jonah's limp body another quick glance before running after Ryuu.

"I'm not too worried about him," Ryuu said when Celine followed.

"You know, sometimes I think you're not worried about anything," Celine sighed, shaking her head.

"Isn't that a good thing?" he glanced back at her.

"I suppose," she nodded slowly. "But are you? Really not worried about anything?"

"Well I guess I am worried about what we're going to eat from now on," Ryuu replied after thinking over a bit. "I don't know how long I'm going to survive on just apples."

_'Boys… all they think about is food.'_

"… I see," Celine forced an awkward chuckle.

"You don't sound too impressed."

"Well normal people have normal worries," she replied.

"Are you saying I'm not normal?" he stopped in his tracks and turned to face her.

"… No, that's not it," she shook her head. "You're just a little… aloof."

Ryuu stared back at her for the longest time, Celine could feel a sweat drop roll down her cheek. He didn't look either upset or angry, in fact, he wore the same blank expression as usual.

"I don't even know the meaning of that word," Ryuu finally said. "Is that bad?"

_'I got worried over nothing.'_

Celine rubbed her forehead with a short chortle.

"It just means you're different from the others," she quickly replied.

"What?" that didn't help him understand any better.

"Take it however you like," Celine said, using his line from before.

Ryuu gave it another moment's thought before giving up with a yawn. He just turned back around and continued walking down the corridor.

"Night Celine," Ryuu waved over his shoulder.

"Goodnight."

Celine watched him disappear down the hall and took a deep breath. She can now officially add Ryuu to the list of people she'll never understand. Just like Law, he manages to baffle her every single time they speak. Or maybe every member of the Heart Pirates is just secretly weird. They've got Law, Ryuu, Bepo (the talking polar bear, that automatically counts him as weird), Shachi and Penguin have been acting strangely as well, so that's already five out of seven members not including her. She gambles that if she spoke to Kane more, she'll also realize that there's something wrong with him too.

She stopped in front of her door and pushed the door open. Celine collapsed on her bed and pulled the covers over herself. She turned to her left and reached for the knob by the bed. Like Ryuu had said, there was a knob somewhere in the room to dim the lights. It had taken her a while, but when she did find it, she felt like an idiot. But that also got her to question: just who did dim the lights for her on the first night? It could have been virtually anyone. Though she can probably cross Ryuu off the list though as he would have been steering the submarine then. So that left… everyone else.

Celine groaned and rolled over.

Forget it.

Right now she should just focus on getting some sleep.

* * *

**Dundundunn… sudden development between Celine and Ryuu. I wrote close to 7k for this chapter, that's the most I've ever written. Feeling a little proud of myself :D**

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**Please?**


	4. Like Brother

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Four: Like Brother**_

* * *

Jonah woke up the next morning with an unbearable pounding in his head. He sat up and winced, his leg felt bruised as well. What in the world happened to him? The last thing he remembered was being Celine and Ryuu carrying him back to the submarine. Speaking of which, just what time is it?

Glancing around he noticed that Penguin was still asleep on the bunk across from his. Though that wasn't an awfully reliable indicator of the time. Jonah climbed off the bed and felt his head spin. Grasping onto the bed for support, he shut his eyes and took deep breaths.

When the spinning finally passed, Jonah opened his eyes and wobbled to the bathroom. Just as his fingers touched the cool metal frame, the door pushed open and Celine strolled out. She stopped mid-step, and smiled when she saw him.

"Hey!" she chirped. "How are we feeling this morning?"

"Shitty," he groaned. "Move aside."

Celine stepped out of the way and watched Jonah scamper into the bathroom. He slammed the door loudly causing Celine to shake.

'_Well someone's feeling stingy.'_

Feeling completely refreshed after her shower, Celine headed up to the deck. The day was still young, and if she were lucky, the sun would just be rising. One thing about living in a giant tin can was that you can never tell what the sky looked like outside. It was something that grew to annoy Celine tremendously over the past few days.

"Miss Celine. Perfect timing."

Stopping at the stairwell, she saw Law coming up the stairs with a large bag in hand. Eyeing the bad warily, she looked back up at the man.

"Good morning," she nodded.

"Yes, good morning," he returned the greeting. "Would you do me a favor and retrieve my sword from my bedroom downstairs? I can't carry both at the same time. I'll be waiting on the deck, please be quick."

Law continued up the stairs without another glance back. Celine stared after the man unbelievably. With a huff, she walked downstairs and through the med-bay. Although he had instructed her to retrieve his nodachi so bluntly, Celine was rather excited, as now she'll get a look into Law's private haven. His private quarters that not even his crew has seen. Celine quickened her pace down the aisle and stopped in his office. The large door was in view now.

Celine reached out and pushed the door open. The door made no sound as it swung open smoothly, a notable difference between the others doors on the submarine.

Law's room was overwhelmingly large, almost three times hers, and it did make sense for his room to be this big, as there's nothing else on this floor apart from the med-bay and his bedroom.

The large bed looked untouched, almost as if no one has slept on it in weeks. Which begged her to ask herself: just what Law could be doing that was keeping him from this magnificent bed? Stepping in, she noticed a pile books scattered on an end table next to a dark leather armchair. The gold rimmed leather looked a little tattered but still in an acceptable state.

Now that looked comfortable.

Perhaps he reads instead of sleeping. That would explain why there was such a difference between the bed and armchair. The nodachi she was searching for was propped against the armchair. This once again reaffirmed her suspicions that Law spends more time reading than sleeping. It was no wonder he had such dark hazy eyes.

Celine picked the sword up and headed back upstairs. There will be another time to bask in the wonder of Law's bedroom… or perhaps not. She struggled with the large sword as she wobbled out of the room. It looks like it's going to take a while for her to get up there. She's hoping whatever hurry Law's in can wait a little longer.

**XoXo**

Law had an uneasy expression on his face when she arrived on deck. The large bag was placed by his feet, and he had his arms crossed in front of him. Celine eyed him warily as she approached.

"Did I take too long?" she asked.

"No, it's alright," he picked up the bag. "Let's go."

"And where exactly are we going?" she followed.

"We have to visit a house in town," he replied.

"Whose house?" her voice sounded dismal.

"The bartender from last night," he said as they walked along the beach. "His daughter has some kind of disease"

"Is that where you were last night?"

"Yes," he nodded. "I wasn't able to identify what she had last night. I'm hoping I can find out more today."

"I see."

So he really was a doctor first despite being a pirate.

"He offered to feed us for rest of our stay if I could cure her."

Or maybe not…

"Is that the only reason why you're helping?" she sighed.

"Well not entirely," he smiled. "I've never encountered a mystery disease that I couldn't cure, I'm not about to ruin my perfect record now."

"And do you come across lots of mystery diseases?" Celine too smiled.

"You'd be surprised," he glanced her way. "… Are you having troubles with that?"

"No," Celine pouted, grasping onto the sheath tighter. "I'm more than capable of carrying it."

"Well it is a little big," he reached his hand out. "Let's swap."

Celine held the nodachi away from Law's reach, and she stepped back slowly as Law approached her.

"I said I'm fine with-."

Celine had held the sword slightly higher than she should have, and the blade had slid out of it's sheathe. The hilt of the blade landed on the sand with a quiet thud.

"-it."

'_Oh god.'_

Celine immediately picked the blade up and sheathed it. She said nothing and held the nodachi towards its rightful owner. Law simply smiled when he passed the bag towards her as he held onto his sword.

"Sorry…" she mumbled, clutching onto the large bag. "Let's get going before I do anything else embarrassing."

"It's quite alright, Miss Celine," Law chuckled. "It was rather amusing seeing you turn that shade of red."

She hadn't even noticed she was blushing before he mentioned it, and now she was probably even redder. Celine ignored his remark and marched on ahead, in vain attempt to hide her face. Law simply followed quietly in pursuit, enjoying every moment of it. But once they've reached the town, Law had to lead. Celine just looked down whenever he wasn't facing forward and did her best to avoid eye contact with him.

'_Way to go Celine, dropping the captain's sword like that.'_

Celine couldn't help but think back to last night when Ryuu lifted Jonah so easily, while she struggled so badly. Now it was the captain's sword that she couldn't even hold properly. She wondered if she was strong enough to be a pirate. Though she hadn't seen anyone apart from Law fight, she'd imagine they were all very capable of handling themselves.

Sure, she did have her Devil Fruit powers, but they're pretty useless unless she can keep contact with someone for a whole five seconds. If she were facing strong opponents who knew of her power, she'd be dead in no time before her powers would activate. This was one of those moments when she actually wished for her powers to work sooner.

"Any particular reason why you're scowling at me like that, Miss Celine?"

"What?" she blinked a few times. "No, no, it's nothing. I'm sorry for that. I was just thinking over some things."

"Good," he turned back forward. "We're here."

Celine looked over his shoulder and saw that they were stood in front of a fairly decent house. Law knocked and almost immediately the door pulled open. Behind stood the bartender from last night, he smiled gratefully and allowed them in.

"Thank you for coming," he dipped his head low. He looked up and turned to Celine. "And you are? His assistant?"

"Something like that," she mumbled back. "I'm Celine."

"I'm Gerald," he smiled briefly.

"Let's go shall we?" Law spoke up. "I'd like to examine Miss Raena as soon as possible."

"Yes, of course," Gerald stepped out of the way.

Celine followed Law up the stairs quietly. She wondered what Gerald's daughter would be like. If she inherited her father's good looks then she must be one pretty girl. From behind her, she could hear Gerald muttering hopeful words to himself, saying things like 'I believe in him' and 'He'll be able to do it'.

Law pushed open a door on his left and Celine walked in after him. Lying on the bed by the window was a little girl with long golden curls. From where Celine was standing, the little girl looked frail and thin. The little girl's eyes brightened up when she saw that she had company.

"Hello again Pirate-san," she smiled as Law walked over to the bed. "Who's she?"

"Miss Raena, this is Miss Celine," Law looked back over at Celine.

"She's really pretty," Raena whispered up to Law. "Is she your girlfriend?"

Unless this little girl's doing it on purpose (which Celine doubts), then she's whispering really loudly. Celine heard every single word and had once again looked down in embarrassment.

"No, Miss Celine is a member of my crew," Law replied calmly.

"I'm Raena! It's nice to meet you!" the little girl beamed.

"You too," Celine smiled, walking over and placing the bag down next to Law. "Should I leave this here?"

"Yes," he nodded, then raising the sword towards her. "And if you can handle it would you please put this outside in the corridor?"

"Of course, Captain," she held it with two hands. "Is there anything else you need? Or can I head back?"

"Do as you like," Law mumbled back as he scrounged through his bag. "And please don't drop that again."

"Got it…" she rolled her eyes as she headed out the door.

"See you later Celine-san!" Raena waved after Celine.

"Bye," Celine gave her a little wave before she closed the door.

Celine placed the sword down carefully against the wall, and turned towards the stairs. Gerald was still stood by the door when she got down.

"Gerald?" Celine placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Huh?" his eyes snapped over to hers. "Oh, sorry about that."

"It's fine," Celine smiled. "I should be going now."

"No! Please, let me make you some breakfast," Gerald pushed her into the dining room. "I made a promise to your captain to feed his crew."

"Please, I'm quite alright…"

"I insist," Gerald sat her down on a seat. "I won't be long."

Gerald disappeared through a door. Celine gave up with a sigh and glanced around her surroundings. On a shelf, there were rows of photographs, and in each of them there was a woman pictured with Gerald. Celine recognized the blonde hair and immediately made the connection.

Like Gerald said, he returned in no time with a plate of eggs and ham. He placed them down on the table and waited for her to try it.

"I'm sorry, I don't have a lot of things around the house," he smiled sheepishly. "I promise to make you something better back at the inn."

"No, please don't worry about it," Celine picked up her fork and knife. "This is more than enough, thank you."

"You're very kind," he smiled, taking the seat across hers. "How is it?"

"Very delicious," this man cooked even better than Sera.

"I'm glad," he let out a sigh of relief.

"May I ask you something?" Celine spoke.

"Of course," he nodded.

"Is that lady in the pictures your wife?" she looked towards the photographs.

"Ah…" Gerald followed her gaze. "Yes, her name was Emma. She passed away two years ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Celine turned back to Gerald. "She's very beautiful."

"There's no need to apologize," he smiled lightly. "And thank you. You really are kind, Celine."

Celine smiled and looked back down at her plate. It must have been difficult for Gerald to raise a sick child on his own and work at the same time. She can't imagine what would happen to him if he lost both his wife and child. Law better be able to do something to save Raena.

Speak of the devil, Law walked into the room. He had his nodachi in hand and a small vial in the other.

"Miss Celine. You're still here," he noted.

Celine raised her hand in acknowledgement.

"How is she, Law-san?" Gerald stood up.

"She's a little weaker than last night and she's got a fever," Law replied. "I don't know what exactly is happening to her yet, but I'll find out soon. Come, Miss Celine. We've got to get back now."

"What? Now?" Celine quickly finished her food.

"Yes, I've got to get this blood sample tested," Law held the vial up. "I'm leaving my bag upstairs. Is that alright, Mister Gerald?"

"Of course, whatever that's convenient for you," Gerald nodded. "Is there anything I can do for the time being?"

"Make sure she gets some rest," Law replied as he headed towards the front door. "Let's go."

Celine followed Law out of the house after saying goodbye to Gerald. Law marched towards the beach without another word to Celine. Just what was Law's hurry? And why was he being so quiet?

"Hey, Law…"

"Yes?"

"Is Raena going to be alright?" she asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," he replied. "I've read about a fatal disease a few years back, but I can't remember very well. I'll have to look through my books when I get back. I'll need you to help me get started with the blood test."

"You do realize, I have zero to no knowledge on diseases, medical tests, and what not?" she opposed.

"Ask Jonah to help you," he replied.

"Yeah, but-."

"A little girl's life depends on it, Miss Celine," he turned to face her.

"… I understand."

'_I'm just not sure if Jo's going to up for testing blood during a hangover.'_

**XoXo**

"You're shitting me."

"I shit you not, Jo."

In the crew's bathroom, Jonah was sprawled over a toilet shamelessly, doing his best not to throw up.

"… Now's not a good time, Cel," he turned back weakly. "My head's spinning. I'll do more damage than good."

"Look, Law's already down in his bedroom going through his books," Celine crossed her arms. "If you don't do it, then a little girl's going to die."

"You don't understand… my body feels weak. I'll probably break all of Captain Law's equipment," he whined. "Please, go do it yourself…"

"… Fine, I will!" she dropped her hands. "… But can you at least talk me through it?"

"… Sure, if you can help me down to the med-bay."

That was as much help as she's going to get from him today. Celine helped Jonah off the floor and put his arm around her shoulder. It was easier to lift Jonah now as he's awake and only needs support.

"Who's this girl anyway?" Jonah asked.

"She's the daughter of that bartender from the inn," she replied. "He promised to feed us if the captain can cure her."

"Really?" Jonah sighed. "That's just like Captain Law."

"Well we've got to eat somehow since someone bought three crates of fruit," she rolled her eyes "Is he always like this? Does he always help strangers out like this?"

"Look I'm sorry okay? It was as much as Penguin and Shachi's fault," Jonah defended. "About Captain Law, every now and then someone would come along asking if we had a capable doctor, and if it's worth his time, then Captain would agree to help."

"I see…"

"Don't misunderstand me though," Jonah quickly spoke. "Captain Law's a great person to serve under and all, he's both fair and strict to his crew. He doesn't necessarily pick fights with anyone, but when someone does get on his bad side, he's ruthless. Well you'd know, from what happened back at your family's inn, and what happened to that Zed fellow."

"I suppose…" Celine nodded slowly. "But doesn't someone who goes and deliberately start a fight deserve it?"

Jonah lifted his head and stared at her momentarily before breaking out into laughter.

"What?" she scowled. "What's so funny?"

"You're right," Jonah chuckled. "That sounded like what the captain would have said."

"Shut up," she groaned. "Let's just concentrate on getting this blood ready. Is it difficult?"

"Not really," he shook his head "The hard part's to get the equipment ready, it's all really delicate."

"Well thank god, one of us can handle our alcohol," Celine smiled.

"Oi, quiet down, you want my help or not?" Jonah frowned.

"Of course," Celine replied.

**XoXo**

As soon as Law got back into the submarine, he headed straight down to his bedroom. Somewhere in his shelf, amongst his hundreds of medical books, there's one book that had information on a particular disease with similar symptoms to Raena's. The problem was Law couldn't remember the name of the book or the name of the disease, and he didn't have long as the girl's condition seem to have worsened over night.

It's also best if he hurried, as Celine was next door trying to prepare for the blood test. Even with the help of Jonah and she does set up the equipment correctly, it'll be for nothing if he didn't know what he's testing for.

Law frantically flipped through his books, he must have kept at least a hundred on his shelf. It'd take him at least a few days before he can look through them all. He prioritised his older books first, knowing that he's read the information a long time ago.

With a sigh, he shut the book in hand and placed it on the growing pile on the floor. He turned to pick up the next book and began skimming through the pages. A certain chapter caught his attention.

'_Wilfred's Syndrome… Stunted growth… Weak body… Inherited… Average life span, thirty years if left untreated…'_

It was all coming back to him, he's read about Wildred's Syndrome before but had forgotten about it over the years, as it was a very rare disease. If he remembered correctly, Gerald's wife passed away due to illness, it was probably the same disease.

Law read on, going through the diagnosis and treatments. If he had encountered someone with Wilfred's Syndrome those years ago when he first read about it, he wouldn't have been able to do anything to help. But now with his equipment and knowledge, he should be able to analyse the blood and develop a countermeasure within the day.

A knock came and Law looked up from the book.

"Come in."

The door pushed open slowly and Celine popped her head in. Law stood up with the book still in hand and walked towards the door, he pulled the door straight open.

"Have you found it yet?" she asked. "I'm done with the equipment so I was thinking I could help you if you."

"Found it," he passed her the book. "Wilfred's Syndrome. A deadly disease if left alone, but I'm sure we can cook something up."

"That's good," she let out a sigh of relief. "Then are you going to get started right away?"

"Yes, I'll need the whole day," he brushed past her.

Law walked into his office and evaluated Celine's work on his desk. Everything looked to be in order, which was surprising considering Celine's claims of having no knowledge in the medical field.

"Not bad work, Miss Celine," he remarked as he sat down.

"I follow instructions well," she placed the book on the desk.

"… Or so you think," he whispered.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Nothing," he shook his head. "Would you be so kind as to deliver the good news to Gerald?"

"Yeah, alright," she smiled. "I'm sure he'd be glad to hear his daughter's going to be okay."

"Yes… and also take the crew with you," Law snapped his plastic gloves on. "They should be famished."

* * *

After making sure Raena was fast asleep in her room, Gerald headed out to work. Even if he is slightly later than usual, his employees should have opened the inn for business. But instead, he found his workers outside the inn, warning people to not come in.

"What's going on here?" Gerald asked.

"Oh, Owner-san!" one of the waitresses cried. "It's terrible! There are pirates inside and they're refusing to leave!"

"Pirates?" Gerald repeated.

Could it be Law's crew? He and Celine returned to their ship a while ago, perhaps he had instructed his crew to come to the inn.

"We'd certainly be killed! We should call the marines!" she carried on.

"Now, now," Gerald waved his hands reassuringly. "Calm down Nef. There's no need for that. Those pirates are my friends."

"What? Seriously?" Nef gasped. "But they're so scary looking…"

"Come on everyone, there's nothing to be afraid of."

Those words were said as he pushed opened the door, and as soon as he saw the scene inside, he wished he hadn't.

These men were obviously not on Law's crew, none of them were present last night with the crew. Gerald wasn't sure what they wanted, but it definitely wasn't a nice warm meal with sake.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Gerald forced a pleasant smile.

"You own this place right?" the largest man asked.

"I do," Gerald nodded back.

"We heard there were other pirates here last night…" he spoke on. "We're looking for a woman named Celine and a man named Trafalgar Law. They're pirates from North Blue."

"There were pirates here last night, but I didn't speak to them," Gerald brushed off. "I don't know if they were who you're looking for."

"Gah! That's annoying," he growled. "Whatever, since we're here we'll have some sake."

Deciding it was better to just give them what they want so they'd leave sooner, Gerald rushed to the counters and prepared their drinks. Now he was just hoping none of Law's crew would come in.

"Nef," he called quietly.

"Yes, boss?"

"I need you to run down to the beach and warn Trafalgar Law's crew," he instructed. "Tell them a group of pirates are here looking for them."

"What?" she turned back to the pirates present. "But they're pirates, it's none of our business if they-."

"Raena's life depends on their safety," Gerald hissed under his breath. "Go!"

"All right…" she sighed, heading for the door.

The worst that could've happen happened. Just as Nef pushed the doors open, the Heart Pirates strolled in. Everyone but the captain and polar bear were here. Gerald chewed his bottom lip nervously as Nef sat them down across the room from the other pirates. Celine sat with her back facing the other pirates. With luck perhaps they wouldn't recognize her.

Nef then turned to face Gerald and gave him small thumbs up before running out the front door. Gerald speedily dropped off the sake and headed towards the other table skittishly.

"Hey Gerald," Celine gave a small wave of her hand. "Hope you're up to feeding all these guys."

"I'd be happy to," he smiled back. "But there's something I have to tell you all."

"Wait me first," Celine cut him off. "Law asked me to tell you that Raena's going to be alright. He's identified the disease and is producing a cure for her."

"Really?" Gerald brightened up noticeably. "That's wonderful news! Thank you so much."

"No, I didn't do anything," Celine shook her head. "If you want to thank someone, thank Law later."

"Yes, I will," Gerald nodded. "What can I get for you all?"

Each person ordered what they liked apart from Celine, who has already eaten earlier. Everyone ordered more than they needed to, taking advantage of Gerald's hospitality. Celine shot them a dirty look and turned to Gerald.

"Thank you for having us," she wished the rest of them would do the same. If Law were here, he'd certainly know how to handle a situation like this.

"Say," Kane too turned to Gerald. "Wasn't there something you wanted to tell us?"

"Oh, that's right," Gerald remembered. "Those men over there are pirates looking for you. They're after Celine and your captain specifically. I don't know who they are but they're definitely looking for trouble."

Gerald left the Heart Pirates to contemplate on the new information. No matter how she looked at it, she has definitely not seen these men before. One man did look to have an extra leg, but it was probably just the lighting.

"Are they people you've met before?" Celine whispered to the group.

"Never seen them before," Shachi replied.

"He did say he was looking for you and the captain," Kane reminded. "Maybe it's to do with that Zed guy."

"Now that I look at the guy in the middle, he does look a little familiar," Celine pondered.

"My guess is that those are the pirates that want to kill you," Ryuu glanced over at the other table.

"Gee, way to be subtle," she retorted. "What should we do? Do you think we should get Law?"

"Nah, there's no need to bring the captain into this," Penguin said. "We're more than enough to handle these guys."

"What? But they have us outnumbered!" Celine insisted. "And I'm going to be no help at all."

"We'll be fine, Celine," Kane reassured. "We're a lot tougher than we look."

"Yeah? But what about me?" she did her best not to sound too worried.

"What about you?" Ryuu asked.

"As I am one of their targets, I'm almost certain they'd come after me first amongst this group," she explained.

"We'll protect you Celine!" Penguin proclaimed. "Right Jo?"

Jonah who had been lying on the table since he sat down, grumbled slightly but said nothing more. The alcohol must have really gotten to him last night.

"Quiet down, dumbass," Shachi hissed as he whacked Penguin over the head. "You want the whole room to hear you?"

"Sorry…" Penguin mumbled, rubbing his head through his cap.

The crew decided to lay low for the time being and unless they attack, they won't. Celine liked this plan, no one had to get hurt (for now) and if possible, they can just avoid this confrontation all together.

Celine glanced over to Ryuu and saw he was playing with his bandana that was tied around his wrist.

"Hey Ryuu, give me that," she pointed at his hand.

"No," he pulled his hand away from her.

"Come on, if I wear it maybe they won't recognize me," she insisted, reaching for his hand.

"Fine, whatever," he pulled it off his wrist. "Take it."

The crew watched Celine fold the piece of red cloth into a triangle. She then tied it over her head carefully. No one would say it, but Celine looked good with the bandana on. The red complimented her dark straight hair.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"You look like a thug," Ryuu mumbled.

Celine pursed his lips into a fine line and kicked him under the table. He whelped a little as he shuffled his seat away from hers.

"I'm sure what he means is that you look… different," Kane shot his brother a stern look. "A good different."

"You guys are terrible at this," she sighed.

The men gulped at her comment and did anything but look her in the eye.

The whole time while waiting for their food, Ryuu and Celine shoved each other under the table. Kane was getting a little annoyed over the whole ordeal. What were they? Children? No, they were worse than children.

Celine sent a sharp kick to his knee and he flinched up, his leg bashing into the table with a loud thud.

"Seriously, you two?" Kane grumbled. "Playing footsies at this age? What, are you guys five?"

Ryuu exchanged looks with Celine and a sly grin crept onto his lips. He turned to his brother and kicked him under the table. Kane winced and retaliated, striking him back.

"Now, you're a five year old too," Celine chuckled.

Kane wasn't sure what to say. Since joining the crew, Ryuu had mostly kept to himself. But now that Celine's here, he's starting speaking a lot more, even to the rest of the crew.

**XoXo**

Nef hurried along the sandy shores searching for the pirate ship, but the only thing even relatively close to a ship was a bright yellow submarine. As she got closer, she realized it was a lot bigger than she thought.

A rope ladder was let down from the top deck already. Was she just supposed to climb up? The climb took a lot more effort than she would have liked, but she was determined to complete her errand.

Sleeping on the deck was a polar bear.

Nef wasn't working last night and knew nothing about this Law's crew. Even though they were from North Blue, she didn't expect them to have a polar bear as a pet.

The bear looked up when he heard footsteps on deck. The two stared at each other in silence. At one point, Nef had wondered if she should just run away.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The bear spoke! Nef swallowed uneasily as she took a step back.

"I-I work at the inn," she stammered. "I'm looking for a Captain Law. I have news from my boss, Gerald."

"The captain?" Bepo stood up, towering over the small girl. "… I'll go get him. Wait here."

Not only did the bear speak, but he can walk on two legs too! Just what in the world was up with this crew? First a large group arrived at the inn, the girl was pretty but looked harmless enough, but the men were a completely different story. Not only did they all dress in the same jumpsuits, but they looked rather intimidating in them too. The two hatless ones especially, they were almost double her own size and both shared stern glares. And now there was a talking polar bear too!

She waited anxiously, wondering what kind of person the captain was. He must have been some sort of monster to be able to handle such a crew.

To her surprise, when the doors were pushed open again, a slender figure walked out. Pulling his medical gloves off, he blinked under the harsh sunlight. Nef watched as he stuffed the gloves into his back pocket and rubbed his forehead. Captain Law was no monster at all, in fact, he was one hell of a looker.

"What can I do for you?" he asked. "I'm afraid I'm in a hurry, and I don't have much time to spare."

"I just have a message from Gerald," Nef nodded quickly. "He has asked me to come warn you of a group of pirates that are at the inn. Apparently they were looking for you and a woman named Celine."

"But my crew headed towards the inn less than an hour ago," Law muttered as he thought it through.

"What? Then…"

That's when it hit Nef.

Celine must have been the woman that arrived at the inn earlier, and the men she was with would have been Law's crew.

"Oh…" Nef sighed. "Well shouldn't you come if that's the case? The other pirates don't look like they play friendly."

"Neither does my crew," Law smiled. "Apart from Miss Celine, everyone on my crew are very capable of handling themselves in a fight. If that's all, then I must head back inside."

"But wait-."

"As I said, my crew are more than capable and I trust their judgment," Law glanced back towards her. "I'm certain they'll find the best way to handle the situation."

Law didn't have time to dawdle around so he left it with that. Not that he didn't mean what he had said, every word he spoke he believed. With Celine as an exception, everyone else on the crew were gifted fighters. He wasn't very confident with everyone's judgment but he was positive Kane would keep them all in check.

**XoXo**

Unknowing to Law, across the island and back at the inn, the Heart Pirates have just been spotted. More specifically the other group of pirates recognized Celine sitting across the room.

The largest man had just revealed himself as Zed's little brother, Sid.

"Should have known they were related," Celine mumbled to herself. "No two person share such a pitiful bone structure."

"Well said," Ryuu grinned quietly, standing up from his seat. "And it looks like he heard you."

"What did you say?" Sid demanded, walking over to their table. "You say something, bitch?"

"Now, now, that's no way to speak to a lady," Kane too stood up.

"I ain't gonna play nice with the bitch that killed my brother," Sid snarled. "Where's the other bastard? Where's Trafalgar Law?"

"Look, you insult Celine, we don't give a crap," Ryuu murmured. "But if you insult our captain, then that's something else entirely."

Celine whacked her hand over his abdomen.

"Oh yeah? You wanna go, pretty boy?" Sid popped his knuckles.

Before either Sid or Ryuu moved, Kane had sent Sid flying across the room with a sharp kick to the man's head. Celine watched on, stunned over the older man's actions. No one had expected that, Kane was normally the calm, reserved one, and would never strike first.

"Celine, you might want to crawl to a corner somewhere and hide," Kane called over his shoulder. "Cuz' some crazy shit's about to go down."

The rest of the crew stood up with small grins on their faces, no doubt laughing at Kane's comment. For the first time ever, Celine felt intimidated by the Heart Pirates. Over the last few days, it's been all jokes and smiles, but now during a serious fight, she could see that they shouldn't be taken lightly.

Jonah rubbed the back of his head, anyone could tell he was annoyed and would rather be doing anything but this. Shachi and Penguin took their place next to Kane, both bearing provoked looks. Ryuu gave her a quick glance before joining the boys.

Celine hadn't thought much of their fighting skills before, seeing their captain's alone was enough for her, but now standing here behind these men… they looked promising. And it felt good to know that these men were on her side for a change.

"You will pay for that…" Sid muttered as his men helped him up. "Boys, lets teach these fools a lesson. Remember we're after the girl, and avoid touching her at all costs!"

The fight started immediately after those words left his mouth. Kane charged towards Sid and both sides dispersed. Celine wasn't exactly sure what she should be doing now, it was obvious they were after her but the crew was doing a pretty good job keeping them away. Should she just crawl to a corner and try to hide? It wasn't like she would be much help anyway.

Celine turned towards the counter and saw one of the pirates heading towards Gerald. The man looked absolutely terrified, she knew he didn't stand a chance. Pulling her gloves off, Celine ran over as quickly as she could and jumped onto the man. The impact knocked the pirate to his back and his sword flew out of his hands. His face paled when Celine placed her fingers onto his face.

The pirate struggled under her weight and eventually pushed her off, he quickly picked up his sword again and raised it cautiously.

"I know all about your annoying little power," he panted as he grabbed a hold of his cheek, where Celine's hands were. "It's no use if you aren't strong enough to keep me pinned down."

Just as those words were said, a table was thrown across the room, knocking the man off his feet entirely. Celine turned sideways, her eyes widened in awe, to see Ryuu giving her a small wave before kicking another man aside.

Celine smiled back and turned to Gerald. The man was quivering from his fingers to toes, it doesn't look as if he'll be able to do anything in this fight. Celine re-gloved her hands and helped him up to his feet.

Judging from Gerald's expression and the shadow looming behind her, Celine realized someone was approaching from behind. Curling her fingers into a tight fist, she turned around and sent her hand flying. Amazingly the punch landed where it was supposed to, and the pirate fell back on the ground. Celine bent down to examine the man, he looked to be knocked out. Something Celine was strangely proud about.

"Hey guys!" she grinned. "Look! I got one!"

"… And we got everyone else."

Celine looked up and gulped. Sure enough, every other pirate was lying unconscious on the ground. Kane was still holding Sid by his shirt and tossed him aside when he noticed there was no more fight left in the other man.

"Man… that was almost too easy," Shachi grumbled. "And I was hoping we'd be able to get serious."

Penguin agreed with a nod and the two muttered on about their disappointment. Celine tiptoed over the bodies carefully as she made her way back to the table where the men have sat back down.

"Hey Gerald!" Kane called. "Would you hurry it up with the food? I'm really hungry!"

Gerald regained his composure after a moment and hurried into the kitchen.

"… You guys are really strong," Celine spoke.

"That was nothing," Penguin grinned. "You should have seen us fight these other guys back in North Blue!"

"That time in the town square?" Shachi asked.

"No! When we fought the Rim Pirates," Penguin shook his head. "Remember how crazy we went on that one?"

Celine listened quietly to them recalling the incident. Commenting how fun 'knocking people out' was, and how amazing it felt when they 'defeated the strongest man in North Blue'. Just what kind of people were they? Originally she had thought Law was amazing, but after seeing the rest of his crew, she was thoroughly impressed.

"But hey, Celine did knock that one guy out," Shachi smiled.

"That's a lot more than we expected," Ryuu chuckled. "Well done for that."

"Oh, don't mock me like that," she frowned.

"Don't worry about it Celine," Kane said. "Jo was pretty pathetic when he first joined."

"Oh yeah!" Penguin agreed with a nod. "But a few months with us and now he's kicking butt."

"I already have a headache after the exercise, but now I feel like I'm going burst," Jonah grumbled, back on the table again.

"Exercise," Shachi repeated with a roll of his eyes. "That's a nice way to put it."

"Wait, so you guys trained him?" Celine queried.

"Yeah, we taught him some basics," Shachi replied.

"Do you think you guys can teach me?" she asked.

"Uh…" Shachi drawled. "Can you, Penguin?"

"Um… I think I broke something during that fight, what about you, Jo?" Penguin patted the boy's back.

"Piss off," was all Jonah said.

"Kane?" Penguin tried again.

"I'm really not the training type," Kane shook his head. "What about you, Ryuu?"

"… Sure."

"What? Seriously?" Penguin exclaimed.

"It'd be fun to see her struggling with the moves," Ryuu smirked.

"I'm right here, you insensitive jerk," she kicked him again.

"Oh god, are we starting with the footsies again?" Kane sighed.

At that moment, the waitress from before returned to the inn. At first she seemed to be observing the Heart Pirates wordlessly by the door, but after taking a good look around, she shrieked at the bodies lying around the room.

"B-Boss!" she cried as she ran into the kitchen, avoiding as many bodies as she can. "W-What's going on?"

More yelling can be heard from the kitchen, until finally fiery hushed words silenced the girl's yells. Not long later, she returned out with a tray of food. She walked over to their table cautiously, careful with her steps over the bodies.

"Hey guys…" she chuckled slowly. "Here's your food…"

"Alright!" Shachi grinned.

Nef placed the dishes onto the table as quickly as her hands will move. It was hard to believe these were the people that Captain Law had so much faith in. After everything was done, Nef hurried back into the kitchen to join Gerald.

"Are you sure this is alright, boss?" Nef whispered. "What are we going to do once the other pirates wake up?"

"We can't call the marines, no matter what," Gerald told her. "Raena's life depends on their captain. For now we should probably throw them out though."

"And who's supposed to do that?" Nef crossed her arms.

"Gets the boys in the kitchen to help you," Gerald headed to the door. "I'll go clean up the broken furniture."

To his surprise, when he got out, Celine and a few of the members were already helping with the cleaning up. Almost half of the bodies were now piled outside the inn. Strangely enough, none of them awoke during the move, this shows just had badly there were beat up.

"I got these guys to help out," Celine pointed back at her crewmates. "We did make a mess of things, didn't we?"

"You didn't have to," Gerald half-smiled. "Thank you all."

"Hey, it's no big deal," Penguin tossed a body out the door.

"It's not like we were eating or anything, Celine," Shachi grunted.

"Be quiet, you," Celine sneered. "And get a move on."

* * *

Finally after hours of working, Law had finally produced what seemed to be a sturdy cure. He had managed to extract the virus from Raena's blood sample, and developed a countermeasure. So far it had worked with the collected blood, but he wasn't one hundred percent positive it'll work on the body. Right now he was hoping it'd do the trick, if not then there would really be a problem.

"Where are we going now?" Bepo asked.

"Back to the inn," Law replied. "We're going to tell Gerald the good news."

"Then can we eat?" the polar bear looked hopeful.

"Of course," Law smiled.

Bepo grinned as he followed after his captain. The thought of finally being able to eat pleased him so much. The whole day has been spent sleeping under the sun and assisting Law when he was needed.

Arriving outside the inn, there was a pile of unconscious bodies. Law smiled a little at the sight and headed inside. The whole crew was inside sat around a table with Gerald. The room looked emptier than he remembered, the furniture on one side of the room was notably gone.

"Law-san!" Gerald stood. "Is it done?"

"Yes, we can go see your daughter now," Law nodded back.

"Great," Gerald headed towards the kitchen. "Just let me tell my employees first. Excuse me."

A figure wandered back into the inn wearily. Every step took a lot of effort, that, everyone in the inn could tell. In fact, it was all the surprise that he was able to stand after taking such a beating from Kane.

It was Sid.

"You… you're Trafalgar Law aren't you?" he groaned.

"This one looks rather familiar," Law tapped his nodachi.

"You killed my brother, you bastard!" Sid cried.

"Zed's brother, Cap," Kane stood up. "I thought I got him for good. Apparently not."

"Getting sloppy," Law smirked.

As Sid was about to reach Law, he swiftly sidestepped and knocked Sid out the doors using the sheathe of his sword. Gerald returned from the kitchen and directed Law out the door.

"Are you going to treat Raena?" Celine followed after.

"Yes, Miss Celine," Law nodded. "Would you like to come?"

"I'd like that," Celine smiled.

A quiet moan came from the floor. Sid began to stir, slowly waking up. Celine looked down and saw Sid grabbed a hold onto her boot.

"… Not so fas-."

Law kicked the man in the head, and he immediately let go of Celine.

"Thanks," Celine glanced back at Sid. "Do you think the cure going to work?"

"I'm almost positive," he whispered quieter. "But there has only been one recorded incident, and it didn't go well."

"I'm sure it'll work," Celine tried to reassure him. "You're a smart guy, if you can't do it then no one can."

"Way to make a man feel better," Law chuckled darkly. "I feel more pressured than ever."

"You know what I mean," she glanced at him.

When the three arrived in the house, Gerald immediately rushed upstairs while the pirates followed in pursuit. Raena was reading a book when they walked in, but upon seeing the familiar faces, she put the book down and greeted them.

"Hello Pirate-san! Celine-san!" she grinned.

"Raena, Law-san is going to give you some medicine for your sickness alright?" Gerald stood by the small bed, grasping onto his daughter's hand. "It's going to be alright."

"O-okay, daddy," Raena nodded.

The little girl looked back and forth between the grown ups. From her father to Law, then to Celine and back to her father. Raena gulped when Law pulled out a small case from his pocket, inside were a long glass needle and a small clear vial.

"Celine?" he called.

Law handed her the opened box and he reached into his back pocket, pulling on his surgical gloves. Then he turned to Celine and reached for the vial and needle. With great expertise, he filled the needle with the vial's contents and placed the vial back into the box.

Raena whimpered slightly under Law's scrutinizing gaze, and grasped onto her father's hand tighter.

"Don't do needles well?" Law almost smiled at the girl's mortified expression. "Don't worry, it's not going to hurt too bad."

"Too bad?" she repeated.

Celine felt like smacking herself. Why would he go and add that last bit? Couldn't he tell she was on the verge of tears?

"What he means is that it'll just sting a little," Celine spoke up with a smile. "You'll be fine, sweetheart. Just don't think about it."

"B-But what if-."

"Ssh… just quiet down and close your eyes," Celine cooed. "It'll be over in a second."

Glancing back up at her father one last time, Raena then shut her eyes like she was asked to and waited nervously. She felt a hand holding her wrist in place, and then a tiny prick on her arm.

"W-Was that it?" Raena whispered, unwilling to open her eyes just yet.

"Yup," Law replied.

"Seriously?"

Raena fluttered her eyes opened and stared at the spot on her arm that was covered with a circular Band-Aid.

"I didn't even feel a thing," Raena beamed. "You're the best, Pirate-san!"

"What can I say?" Law stood up from the bed. "Here, Miss Celine."

Celine received the needle and placed it back into its place.

"So she's cured?" Gerald inquired. "For good?"

"Theoretically it should work, but let's give it a night. I'll come check on her tomorrow," Law picked up his sword. "For now, Miss Celine and I will retire back to your inn. It's best if you stay with your daughter tonight."

"I understand, thank you," Gerald nodded gratefully. "Please take care on your way out."

"Miss Celine, grab the bag would you?" Law ordered as he stepped out of the room.

Celine grabbed the bag and followed after her captain. Law seemed to be pondering on something as they walked. Not once did he look up or say anything. Her first guess would be he's worrying over Raena.

"Law."

"Hm?"

"No matter what you said before, I am sure you saved her," Celine held his shoulder, causing him to come a halt. "Your cure worked."

"And what if it didn't?" Law turned to face her. "It's too early to tell. What if I had doomed her instead?"

"You're a good man – a good doctor," she reminded him. "Trust in your skills."

Law eyed her for a few moments, his eyes looked erratic, as if he was searching for something. He slowly brought his fingers up towards her cheek. Celine's breath hitched when she felt his thin fingers run along her skin. The warmth overwhelmed her entirely and she felt herself growing hot under his touch.

"Thank you," he whispered as he dropped his hand. "I needed those words."

Celine had been counting the seconds in her head from the moment he touched her. If it were another second later, Law would have been collapsed on the floor. He probably thought of it too, maybe he was keeping count and had let go just before anything could happen.

"Miss Celine?"

Hadn't realized Law had walked ahead, she looked up to see him quite a distance ahead already. She tried to shake the thoughts off and walked after her captain. There were times and places for everything, and right now wasn't the time to feel sorry about her own problems. Law had just saved a little girl's life, it was definitely time to celebrate her captain's great accomplishment.

"Look at this, Miss Celine."

"What?"

Celine snapped out of her thoughts and turned to see Sid once again stood up. Many of his crew was beginning to stand up too.

"Some men just never learn," Law sighed, pulling down his cap a little. "Looks like the stupid ones will just have to be put down… permanently."

"L-Look," Sid yelled across to them. "We can take a hint, you guys are much stronger than us and we won't be able to beat you right now."

"Not so stupid," Law mumbled under his breath.

"So we'll leave you alone for now," Sid made an effort to sound threatening. "But don't think for a moment that I'll forget about this. You two killed my brother and deformed half of his crew. You will pay for that."

"Yeah? Why don't you try making us pay now?" Law's grip on his sword grew tighter. "It won't make a difference if it's now or later."

"Shut up, Trafalgar Law!" Sid shouted. "You're lucky we're pulling back now! Come on men!"

It couldn't be any more obvious, how painfully desperate Sid was to get out of there. He scampered after his men right after he said those words. Celine was just glad she didn't have to witness another fight today. That first fight at the inn was more than enough for a day.

"You're just letting them go?" Celine asked.

"Yes," Law nodded. "As I said before, I'm not worried about them."

"Why not?"

"The weak tend to band together in a vain attempt to feel stronger," Law told her, almost as if he was reciting a quote. "But that doesn't make them any stronger, nor does it make a difference if I fight them now or in the future. We'll kill them the next time they show their faces."

"Right…" she swallowed. "Kill…"

"Does it bother you?" he turned her way.

"A little," she admitted. "But they're bringing it on themselves for trying to come after us, right?"

"Exactly," he nodded.

"I saw the crew fight earlier today," she looked uneasy.

"And?"

"They're all… very strong," she noted.

"It's only normal, no?" he smiled. "It'd be useless to have an incompetent crew."

"Yes, I agree," she looked up to him. "Which is why I have asked Ryuu to train me."

"Ryuu? Really?" Law looked baffled.

"Yeah, no one else would do it," she sighed. "You take what you get."

"You could have asked me," Law's voice shook ever so slightly.

"W-What?" she exclaimed. "How can I? You're my captain… not to mention I'm so terribly weak. You'd probably just laugh at me."

"… Point taken," he smirked. "I think I might head back to the ship first."

"Why?" she asked as they stopped in front of the inn.

"I'm feeling a little tired," he shrugged.

"Are you actually going to sleep, or are you going to read all night again?" she placed the bag down on the ground and crossed her arms.

"…"

"If you're just going to read, you might as well come drink with us."

Celine picked up the bag and hooked her arm around Law's.

"Come on," she pulled him in. "I think you deserve a break from your nightly rounds."

Law grumbled under his breath as he was dragged into the inn. Another long night awaits him.

* * *

**Guys… that was almost 9k words… and I was going to add more to this, but I decided I better split this before I make it a 10k chapter :P By the way that Wilfred's Syndrome thing, I made it up. I'm no good at medical stuff and what not, so didn't want to get into details :P**

**Thank you to everyone that favorited and alerted this story! :)**

**Reviews:**

Guest – Tehe thank you! I'm glad you like it!

the everchanging – Celine's gonna have a bit more bonding time with Ryuu next chapter when he tries to 'train her' or whatnot :P Thank you for the review! :)

valeries26 – Thank you! :)

midnight1997 – Thank you so much! :D

Carefree Insanity – No, no! It's completely fine! I knew his sword was called a nodachi but I thought it was a variation of a katana. My bad… xD I'll change my mistake when I find time! Thank you for pointing that out! :)

Chococatx33 – haha, thank you for your review! :)

Justafangirl – Ahhh… that's what I was thinking to myself a while ago. I sorta want them to have a thing but it's not going to anything serious – I think. What do you think? :P Thanks for the review!

Shima Namida – Oh my gosh! Thank you! :) I'm happy you like it! I thought it'd be way to OP to have her be able to kill whomever with just a touch, and I thought with a few second barrier at least she'll be able to have short kisses and what not ;P Thank you for your review! :)

**Okkkayyy.**

**Since **Justafangirl** has brought it up. I need to ask you guys. Would you like some Ryuu/Celine or should I keep it strictly Law/Celine? If you do ask for Ryuu/Celine, I won't make it very serious because it is a Law/OC story, but I will add something. **

**Let me know! :D**


	5. The Warning

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Five: The Warning**_

* * *

After another night of heavy drinking, Jonah found himself waking up around noon. Jonah barely got over his last hangover, but now there was another one. He really hates himself for being unable to say no to alcohol. Once again he seemed to have magically transported to the crew quarters over night, at least this time his leg didn't hurt as much.

"Ah, you're finally awake."

Jonah looked down from his bunk and saw Kane standing by the door. Looking around, it seems that everyone else was already up and gone.

"Where is everyone?" Jonah rubbed his temples.

"The innkeeper's daughter got better," Kane explained. "He's showing his thanks by letting us eat as much as we want. Though that doesn't do much for the captain, everyone else is up there stuffing their faces. The only ones still in bed are you and Ryuu."

"Oh."

The thought of food made Jonah feel sick. It was nice that they were receiving free food, but right now he really didn't need it.

"I think I might sleep some more," he laid back onto the mattress. "You go have fun though."

"Yeah, whatever you say," Kane smiled as he turned away.

**XoXo**

Celine sat uncomfortably between Penguin and Shachi. The two were stuffing their faces as if they haven't eaten in months. She had eaten what she can already, which was around a tenth of what they've eaten. Normally Celine would have no problem watching people eat, but at the rate their devouring their food, it made Celine slightly uneasy to watch.

Earlier today, Celine had followed Law back to Gerald's house to check up on Raena. Law was obviously anxious to see if the cure worked, and was very pleased with the results when he examined Raena again.

Celine didn't know what Law was mumbling about, and his scribbles in his notebook made no sense either. But what she did know was that it worked and Law, her annoyingly charming captain, has saved a little girl's life.

After making sure Raena was okay, Celine headed out first to meet with the rest of the crew. Which brings her back to here, sitting between the two men scarfing down whole plates at one go.

"I can't believe we get this all for free," Shachi grinned. "Way to go, Captain Law!"

"Please don't speak with your mouth full," Celine grimaced.

"I agree! It's gross…"

That was Raena's voice.

Celine turned around and found herself looking at the said girl. Raena grinned back up at Celine, and from behind her Law walked in with Gerald.

"Hello again, Raena," Celine smiled. "How are you feeling?"

"Never better," Raena gave her a thumbs up. "Pirate-san's a great doctor."

"Yes, he is," Celine agreed with a light nod. "Why don't you come sit with me?"

"But Cel-," Penguin started.

"Shut it," she gave him a stern glare. "Move."

Penguin sighed, defeated. He stood up and walked to the next seat.

"I'll take that chair," Law spoke up.

"O-Of course, Captain!" Penguin forced a smile. "I'll go sit over there!"

Penguin bolted around the table and plopped himself down next to Bepo. Law sat himself on the newly opened seat with a smug smile.

"Are you certain it's alright for her to be up already?" Celine whispered over Raena's head.

"I thought you had faith in my medical expertise?" he chuckled darkly.

"I do!" Celine huffed. "It's just that last night she was still-."

"What are you two whispering about?" Raena stood on her seat, pushing the two apart. "Celine-san, I like you and everything, but Pirate-san is mine! He's my hero!"

Celine gaped back at the little girl, unaware of Penguin and Shachi who were failing to keep straight faces. Raena stared back at down at Celine, her glaze steady and unmoving. Everyone in the room took a deep breath as they waited for Celine's reply. Gerald almost fainted across the room, how could his daughter say that to Celine? The attraction between Law and Celine was obvious, even to a stranger.

Celine lips quivered slightly as she looked down.

'_Oh no…'_

A small whimper came from Celine, and she erupted in laughter.

"All right, Raena," she nodded, feeling a tear coming. "You can keep him. I fully support your relationship."

"Really?"

Raena's eyes sparkled and Celine affirmed with a nod. The little girl turned around and reached out to hug Law. The man sat frozen as she wrapped her arms around him, he shot Celine a look. That look just made Celine smile even broader. Sure she'll probably get a scolding from Law after, but right now this was the most hilarious thing she's ever seen.

"Now, now, Miss Raena…" Law pulled her arms off his waist. "I am very flattered but-."

"No!" Raena cried, grabbing onto his arm. "Celine-san gave us her blessing already!"

"I did," Celine grinned.

"What Miss Celine says has nothing to do with what I think," Law sighed, pulling from the little girl's grasp once again. "Wouldn't you like to go play with Bepo? He's a fluffy polar bear."

"Neat!"

Law let out a sigh of relief as Raena round around the table and wedged herself between Bepo and Penguin. Once again Penguin had to find a new place to sit as Raena pushed herself onto the seat next to Bepo's.

The polar bear grimaced as the girl poked and rubbed his head.

"Captain…" Bepo whined.

"Please, bear with it Bepo."

Celine made a noise that sounded a lot like a laugh, but she hid it under her hand.

"Please, _bear_ with it Bepo," she repeated.

Law sighed, obviously not amused. It was either he or Bepo, and frankly he would rather watch Bepo being bothered than himself.

"The pose should be set tomorrow," Celine spoke up.

"Yes," Law acknowledged with a nod.

"Will we be leaving tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"Your little admirer's not going to like that," Celine chuckled.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Law tipped his hat forward.

"Um-, excuse me."

The two looked behind and saw Gerald standing over them. His expression uneasy and hands curled anxiously.

"Would it be alright if I speak with you two by the bar?" Gerald asked.

Law and Celine exchanged looks but followed the man by the counter nonetheless.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation," Gerald started. "And if you're leaving so soon, then I must warn you about the next island."

"We're all ears," Celine sat down on a stool.

"I hear rumors that the next island is covered in red snow," Gerald told them. "And in a castle amongst the red snow lives a terrifying person with a bounty of 90,000,000. They say that he made an agreement with the marines that he'll kill all pirates that sets foot on his island, and in return, they leave him alone."

"Just who is this person?" Law asked.

"We used to know him as Prince Jareth Adair," Gerald scrounged through the shelves, and eventually pulling out a wanted poster. "But now he is called 'Akayuki no Jareth'."

Sure enough, that title was on the poster, but what surprised Celine was that in the picture was a young boy that looked to be no older than Raena. The boy wore regal clothes, and a shiny little crown. Thus proving his royal status. Jareth had a head of messy brown locks under the golden headwear, and he was scowling back at the camera rather unattractively. He had his hand held up towards the camera, and the tips of his fingers were covered in snow, almost as if he were showing off.

"This is Jareth?" Celine examined the picture closer. "He's but a little boy…"

"This picture was taken years ago, he'd be a teenager by now," Gerald told her. "Don't underestimate him, there's a reason why this child was given such a high bounty – it's been said that he killed his own parents, the king and queen of their island."

"Gee, some kid," Celine frowned at the poster. "Not looking forward to meet him…"

If they were lucky, Celine was hoping they wouldn't have to meet this demented brat at all. Law had been staring at the poster quietly all this time, Celine was unsure what to think of it.

"… Law, are you alright?"

"Yes, I was just thinking," Law quickly nodded back. "So this boy will kill any pirates that arrives at the island?"

"Yes, apparently so," Gerald gulped. "But it could all be a rumor, people like to make things up. I just thought I ought tell you considering what you've done for me and my little girl."

"We appreciate it," Law said. "Would you happen to know how long the pose would set on the next island?"

"That I don't know, I'm sorry," Gerald shook his head. "But the trip should be around three days."

"If it's not too much trouble, would you help us load enough ingredients for the long journey?" Law asked.

The nerve of him! Sure Law saved his daughter, but he didn't have to rob this man!

Celine shot him a disapproving look, in which he ignored completely.

"I'd be happy too!" Gerald said. "Feel free to ask if you need anything else."

Okay, maybe he was 'happy' to do it, but that still doesn't justify Law taking advantage of him. The man rushed back into the kitchen and barked orders to the men inside, leaving behind Celine and Law.

Law remained silent even after Gerald left. He was obviously thinking about the newly learned information on the so-called Akayuki that they'll no doubt meet in the near future.

"You're troubled," Celine stated.

"Thinking," he corrected her.

"About Jareth?"

"Yes, amongst other things."

Seeing as she won't be getting much of a conversation out of him at the moment, Celine slid off the stool and made her way back to the noisy table. She didn't understand what he was so worried over. Sure, the kid was demented, but he was just a kid. What harm can he possibly do to a strong crew such as themselves? Well the boys at least, that little boy wouldn't be able to do a thing against them.

* * *

It's been a few hours since setting sail from Pangala Island. Raena had cried heaps over the thought of never seeing her beloved Law again, but through all those tears, she also found a quiet moment to threaten Celine to stay away from him. It was funny thinking a few days ago she was wondering if Celine was going out with Law. They had set sail right after dinner at the inn, so everyone was at relatively good spirits after a long day's rest.

Ryuu was up on the observation deck at the moment steering the submarine. Celine is supposed to go see him in a few minutes time to get on with the training. She's managed to talk Shachi, Penguin and Jonah into taking turns steering the sub while Ryuu helps with her training.

Celine pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, not knowing how exactly she was supposed to dress for a training session. She decided on going barefoot rather than her heeled boots, it was too bad she didn't own a pair of trainers.

Once she was ready, she left her bedroom and headed straight to the observation deck. Stepping through the hatch, the first thing she noticed was the empty navigating seats by the controls. Celine panicked a little as she searched the room frantically. On the hammock, sleeping peacefully was Ryuu.

"What the hell!" she yelled, kicking the hammock. "What are you doing sleeping?"

"God, what the hell is up with _you_?" he sat up, rubbing his back. "It's not nice to come up to a sleeping person then kick him in the back, you know?"

"What was I to do?" she threw her arms in the air. "No one was driving this tin can!"

"This 'tin can' doesn't need someone to drive her twenty-four seven," Ryuu air-quoted her. "You push the right buttons and you can just supervise."

"That didn't look like any supervising I've ever seen before," Celine crossed her arms. "In fact, it looked more like you were slacking off."

"Details," he shrugged off. "Who's coming up here first?"

"Shachi… I think," Celine picked from the top of her head. "Does he know how to control this thing?"

"I guess we'll find out," Ryuu stretched his arms out. "Let's go."

"What? Now?" he nodded back to her question. "I thought you said supervision was-."

"I built this submarine, remember?" he looked back at her lazily. "Just follow me."

Celine gulped but didn't put up an argument. He was right, this was his submarine and he knows it better than anyone. It'd be pointless to argue with the man that built the ship. Not to mention, he'll probably use his twisted logic to counter any of her arguments.

Giving the empty seats one last glance, Celine climbed down the hatch after Ryuu. He yawned slightly as they made their way down the stairs, and through the corridor they ran into Shachi.

"Hey, you better hurry up," Ryuu patted his back lightly before sticking his hands back into his pockets. "There's no one steering the sub at the moment."

Shachi gave him a dubious look and ran down the corridor.

"You really are terrible," she mumbled as they reached the dojo.

This was the first time she's been to the dojo since joining the Heart Pirates. She's always heard the boys mention it, but she never had the need to go there herself. Ryuu kicked the large sliding lock open, and gave the door a light push with his hip.

Inside, the floors were wooden paneled and the room was lit brightly. There were weights and other equipment on one side of the room, and on the other mats. Celine stepped through and Ryuu directed her to the mats. He kicked off his shoes and walked onto the mat.

"Wearing your gloves again, Celine?" he finally took a notice of her appearance.

"Wouldn't want you to get hurt," she teased.

"Like you can anyway," he scoffed. "I doubt you can even hit me."

"Yeah? We'll see."

Ryuu smirked as Celine lunged for him. He avoided the first couple of punches easily, but soon found that her fists were flying faster and faster. One eventually landed on his stomach, and she grinned in glee.

"Okay… you're fast, I'll give you that," Ryuu smiled. "But that felt like nothing. I've fought a few girls before, but all of them had twice your power."

"Shut up!" she snapped. "Stop patronizing me!"

"No one's patronizing you," he sighed, rubbing his head. "Why don't you give me a kick? I'll even make it easy for you, I won't move an inch."

Celine's fists curled as she glared at him. Did he really think her that weak as to mock her? She'll definitely make him regret not trying to dodge…

Celine took a deep breath and took a step forward, swinging her other leg around into an arch. The kick connected with Ryuu's cheek and sent him crashing onto the ground with a loud thud.

'_Okay, what?'_

This completely caught her by surprise. Sure he said he wouldn't move (which he didn't), but was that small kick really enough to send him to the floor?

"… What the hell," he rubbed his cheek. "You can kick but not punch? Any other hidden talents I should know about?"

"Nope," she shook her head.

"So you're fast and you can kick, huh?" Ryuu stood back up.

"I did a lot of running around as a kid," she shrugged. "Guess all that running paid off."

"You better hope it paid off," he smiled. "Because you're going to try it out in a spar."

**XoXo**

Earlier, Bepo had ran down to the med-bay informing Law that Ryuu and Celine had begun their training session, like he had asked him to do. He's already seen Celine's Devil Fruit power, but he was curious to see if she really was hopeless as she claims to be.

Luckily for him, the dojo doors were left open, leaving a nice gap for Law to look through. Peering through the gap, he watched as Celine and Ryuu exchanged blows and dodges.

Celine wasn't as half as bad, she was keeping up quite well with Ryuu though he wasn't putting much effort in.

What caught his attention was that she was only kicking and dodging, but she was doing a fair job as she made it up with her speed. In fact, by the looks of things, she was moving faster than a normal person would be.

This intrigued Law to no ends, just by watching he was able to make some observations. Celine was faster than a normal girl her age, and she had no upper body strength but brilliantly strong legs. He wanted to examine further in detail… perhaps he'll ask for a physical examination.

Law smiled slightly as he guessed how she would react if he did ask. She'd probably turn red and try to hide her face as usual. Then after moments of staring at her feet, she'll eventually decline. He can imagine it already.

The submarine shook abruptly just then, causing Law to hold the wall for support. The shake wasn't terrible, but still enough to knock someone off their feet.

"_Uh, sorry about that," _the speakers buzzed. _"If you're going to get mad at someone, blame Ryuu."_

Now that he thought about it, it probably wasn't a good idea letting the likes of Shachi, Penguin and Jonah steer the submarine while Ryuu was helping Celine.

Law pulled himself from the wall, and turned back to the dojo. At that moment, he felt a slight twinge inside of him.

Seeing as they were standing in the middle of the room, with no support but each other. They had collapsed on each other, with Ryuu lying on top of Celine. The two stared at each other, wide-eyed, neither knowing what exactly just happened.

Law felt an unease growing inside of him as he watched them, the seconds ticked by slowly for him. Just before he could turn away, deciding that he's had enough, Celine acted first. Ryuu was kicked off and Celine immediately stood up, brushing herself off.

"What the hell!" she crossed her arms. "Don't go falling on people like that!"

"What, you think I wanted to fall?" he picked himself off the ground. "Not all of us have monster legs, you know?"

"Monster legs?" she repeated, sounding completely appalled. "Take that back!"

"No way," Ryuu shook his head. "You know what? For someone with such monstrous legs, it's only fitting you have a monster for a trainer. I'm going to get Bepo for you."

"What? Don't be ridiculous," she called after him, dropping her arms. "Bepo can't teach me anything."

"That, you're mistaken," Ryuu turned back to her. "Bepo happens to be our best kicker."

"Seriously?" she thought it over for a moment.

"Yup."

"Huh, you don't say," she replied. "Go get him then."

Law had ran down the corridor after Ryuu made even the smallest step towards the door. He really didn't fancy being caught watching the two, it'd be embarrassing and he'll have to come up with an excuse.

Once back in the safety of his bedroom, he sat on his armchair and took deep breaths. Thinking back to the incident that just occurred, that was the first time Law's seen Celine and Ryuu speak like that. They do seem on good terms, even playful perhaps. That was something she didn't sure with Law. With him she was all uptight and mouthing smart comments.

"Cap?" a knock came from the door.

"Hm?"

The door creaked opened slightly, and Ryuu popped his head in.

"Hey Law, you seen Bepo around somewhere?"

"I'm afraid not," Law replied, giving him a quick glance. "What do you need Bepo for?"

"Uh... it's a funny story actually," Ryuu pushed the door open wider and leaned onto the frame. "You know how Celine's probably the weakest girl on the whole Grand Line? In terms of strength, I mean."

"Sure."

"But she's got one hell of a fast kick," he pointed at his cheek. "Gave me a clean hit across the face. And I meant the fast part too, I barely saw her coming."

"So about Bepo…"

"Right yeah, Bepo kicks the best out of all of us," Ryuu shrugged. "Thought she could learn more from him than me. But if he isn't here then I won't take your time. See ya, Cap."

Law watched the door close dimly, and leaned back against the armchair. It wasn't like him to care so much over the small affairs amongst his crew. In fact, it wasn't like him to get so shaken up over a girl.

"Celine…" he murmured, closing his eyes slowly.

Still thinking of the frustrating girl, Law slowly drifted to sleep. Not knowing that she'll haunt his dreams too.

* * *

**Pretty short chapter, the next one will be better I promise!**

**Dundundunnn… new character introduced!**

**A big thanks to **Aiko Yamazaki** for helping me with Jareth's character! :D**

**As usual, a thank to you to those that alerted and favorited. **

valeries26 – I'll keep try to keep it that way, but Law's going to misunderstand their relationship :P Thank you for your review!

the everchanging – Thank you! I know, I'm tired of Celine being deadweight in fights :P At least now she'll be able to do something. Yeah, that's what I decided to do! :) Thank you for the review! :D

10th Squad 3rd Seat – Thank you! :)

indescribable music – Tehe, jealous Law is the cutest Law :P Thank you for reviewing!

Guest – I agree! Thank you for your review! :D

Aiko Yamazaki – teheh updated! :)

Death's Eternal Rose – She will get stronger throughout the series! :) For now she's going to train in some basic martial arts but she will try to develop her powers further on! Law is awesome, I completely agree! :D Thank you for the review!

Demeter13909 – It's about to get even more epic! :D

ladeste – Thank you! Really, that means a lot to me :) I'm happy you like her! The last thing I want would be a boring OC :P Thank you for your review! :)

xxOMGgalxx – Thank you! And yes, she will, but not any time soon. Right now I just want her focusing on not getting in the way during fights :P But when the time comes, I got all sorts of goodies planned out for her :D Thank you for your review!


	6. The Island of Red Snow

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Six: The Island of Red Snow**_

* * *

After days of training under Bepo and Ryuu, they were finally nearing the next island. Her two trainers took turns every few minutes, Bepo would help her perfect her kicking angles and form, while Ryuu would just send her to the weights, claiming she needed to get stronger. Or, as she called it – his excuse to slack off, as usual.

The submarine had just surfaced minutes ago and the crew were gathering on the deck. But downstairs, in her bedroom and hiding under her sheets, Celine shivered from the cold.

Celine was already wearing three sweaters, two pairs of trousers, and three pairs of socks, all borrowed from various members of the crew. On top of that, she wore a Heart Pirates jumpsuit, something she swore to never been seen wearing.

"Law must be dreaming if he thinks I'm going out there!" Celine cried.

"Come on now," Jonah sighed. "This is nothing compared to North Blue… you mean to say you can't even handle a little cold?"

"Go away!" she threw her pillow at him. "And tell Law I'm going to stay down here!"

Jonah gave up on her and decided he better just go upstairs to tell the captain of Celine's stubbornness to leave.

**XoXo**

Law looked ahead onto the island grimly, as Gerald had said, the island was indeed covered in red. The castle he mentioned was present too, meaning that it wouldn't be long before Jareth showed his face.

"This is just like home!" Shachi grinned. "I had no idea how much I'd miss snow!"

Shachi looked up to the sky and opened his mouth, his tongue reaching out to the snow.

"Ergh…" Shachi made a face when he tasted something odd. "That didn't taste good…"

"It's Grand Line snow," Penguin told him with a shrug. "Of course, it'd be weird."

Law quietly examined a snowflake that melted on his hand, leaving behind a light red pigment.

"No but, that tasted rusty… kinda like-."

"Blood."

Law finished for him as he wiped the red off.

It seems that the island was more dangerous than it let on. An island stained with blood, and an enemy with unknown power. Things weren't looking good.

Jonah emerged from the hatch looking a little worn out.

"Uh, there's a small problem," the crew turned to him. "Celine won't leave her bedroom."

"It's not safe to leave her behind," Law said. "Kane, Ryuu, go get her."

"But what if-."

"Bring her here using any means necessary," Law ordered.

"Aye, aye."

Ryuu and Kane headed down the stairs speedily, knowing Law wasn't in a playing mood.

"Celine…" Kane knocked against the door.

"Go away," Celine grumbled back.

"Come on," Kane knocked again. "Captain said it was dangerous to let you stay yourself, just come on out."

"Let the little brat come get me," Celine called. "I'd die out there anyway!"

The brothers exchanged confused looks and Ryuu decided to take charge.

"Oi, Celine!" Ryuu kicked the door open. "Get up now."

"No," Celine held onto the sheets tighter.

Ryuu rolled his eyes and cornered in on her.

"Up we go," Ryuu sang as he tossed her over his shoulder.

"Wait, put me down!" Celine kicked. "… At least let me put my shoes on!"

* * *

Shortly after everyone was assembled, the group was split into two. Law, Shachi, Ryuu and Kane were to set out onto the island, searching for any nearby settlements and towns. Since Celine had cried and pleaded Law to let her stay with the ship, so he left behind Penguin, Bepo and Jonah with her.

"Bye guys!" Celine waved shamelessly, not at all trying to hide the fact that she's incredibly happy to be staying on the ship. "Take care!"

"Bye Captain!" Penguin, standing next to her, too waved. Secretly thankful to be allowed to stay on the submarine too. "Bye!"

Celine turned to him slightly, giving him a knowing look. Penguin gulped and dropped his hand immediately, but Celine's glaring didn't cease.

"Uh… is something the-."

Before he can finish his sentence, Celine had yanked his hat off his head with one clean swipe.

"But, Celine…"

"Can it, North Blue-er," Celine pulled the hat on. "I probably look cuter in this anyway."

"Except your name isn't Penguin," Jonah smiled.

"You can shut up too, North Blue-er," Celine scoffed. "None of you understand the pain I'm in."

The two sighed as they watched her head towards the hatch door.

"You're the luckiest, North Blue Bear," Celine muttered as she walked past Bepo. "I'd kill to have a warm fur coat."

"I-I'm sorry…" Bepo stammered.

"You three stay on watch while I go hide from the cold," Celine called.

"What? Why us?" Penguin asked.

"Well considering North Blue-ers like the cold so much, I'd think you'd would be happy to," Celine shrugged.

"Celine, that's just you and your completely biased opinion," Penguin said. "Just because we're from North Blue, it doesn't mean we like-."

Penguin never got to finish as Celine's already vanished down the stairs.

"What the heck is up with her?" Penguin cried. "Seriously, you'd think that girl would have more respect for her senpai."

"I can't really categorize you as a senpai," Jonah shrugged.

"Yeah? And who would be? Shachi?"

"No way, Kane and Ryuu would be the senpais probably," Jonah said.

"What makes them senpais and not me?" Penguin demanded.

"They're just scarier in general," Jonah shrugged.

The two bickered on, oblivious to the sudden change in the snowfall's pattern.

**XoXo**

Celine can feel a cold coming on as she wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders. This was exactly why she hated cold places, she almost always ends up sick, and when she's sick she won't get better without seeing a doctor. The only doctor she can see now happens to be Trafalgar Law, the one man she wants to avoid asking for help at all costs.

A cool chill blew into the room. Celine had forgotten to close the door after coming in, and now snow was blowing into the room. With a quiet sigh, she trudged up the stairs.

The snow blew in her face as she reached the door. Strands of her hair blew past her neck mercilessly, if it weren't for the hat she's taken of Penguin, her head would be freezing.

Hiding her face from the strong winds, she heaved the door shut. She turned around and met with a very familiar face. The face of the young boy who killed his own parents, the face of the boy who's after every pirate that arrives on the island.

"Boo."

Jareth smirked as Celine slowly backed up against the cool metal door. The hand clutching onto the blanket felt warmer by the second, as she felt herself sweat under the boy's gaze.

"How did you get in here?" she glared.

"You're the one that left the door open for me," he shrugged.

"I didn't-," Celine snapped her mouth shut, knowing that there was no point. "What do you want?"

"I originally came to kill your crew off," Jareth tapped his chin, his pointy crown gleaming under the lights mockingly. "But, I've changed my mind."

"And what's made you change your mind?"

"You did," he grinned.

"I haven't done a thing," she countered defensively.

"Oh, but you have," Jareth said. "You alone have spared this crew an immediate death."

"I don't understand," Celine frowned.

"I have trapped your friends in a blizzard outside – all of your friends," Jareth turned his back to her, and walked down the stairs. "Their fates are in your hands."

This was the boy with the 90,000,000 bounty on his head. It looks like he's got some strange powers too, being able to sneak up behind her like that earlier. It was probably best if she just listened to him if he was willing to talk.

Celine followed him uneasily, and he sat himself down on one of the seats.

"Sit down," Jareth said. "This is your home, I am a guest."

His words didn't reassure her at all, but she did as she was told and sat across from him. Jareth was openly staring at her, a small smile present on his lips. If he was doing it, then there was no harm if she observed him too. Like Gerald suggested, the boy in front of her looked older than his wanted poster. Nothing like Raena, in fact, he looked Jonah's age.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked.

"Jareth Adair," Celine said.

"That's King Jareth," he snapped.

"Right, I apologize for my rudeness then… your highness," Celine said through her teeth.

This brat was really getting on her nerves. So what if he's got some trick hiding up his sleeve? He's still younger and can learn a few things about respect.

"Hm, I'm liking you more by the minute," Jareth grinned. "Tell me your name."

"… It's Celine."

"Celine," he repeated, already liking the sound of it. "What a beautiful name."

"You flatter me," she said dully.

"Celine, would you like to save your friends?"

"What must I do in return?" she gulped.

"I'll let your crew go but you will marry me," he smiled. "Simple."

"E-Excuse me?" Celine almost choked. "I think not. That's beyond ridiculous."

"I don't joke," Jareth frowned distastefully. "This is me at my most generous. Consider it an engagement gift to my betrothed."

"You sparing my friends as an _engagement gift_?" Celine stood up. "No. You're mad, and you need to leave."

Jareth shook his head with a smile as he followed Celine up the stairs.

"Ah…" Jareth said as he watched Celine push the heavy door open. "I don't think you'll like what you find out there."

Stepping onto the deck, Celine's eyes widened at the sight. The deck was covered in a thick layer of snow, and Celine can clearly make out three blobs lying beneath the snow, unmoving. Celine gripped the side of her jumpsuit furiously.

"I told you," his voice whispered behind her.

"You little-!" she dropped her blanket entirely.

Celine flew a kick over her shoulder, and she had definitely hit him. Her eyes met his briefly but the eye contact didn't last long at all. Jareth gave her a large grin and began to slowly vanish into thin air.

"What the hell…"

"Beautiful girls like you shouldn't curse."

Celine turned around and watched Jareth slowly materialize from the snow. This must be the work of another Devil Fruit, this little Celine knew. But she didn't know the extent of his powers, all she's seen so far is him melting and reappearing.

There was also the fact that he managed to take down three members of the Heart Pirates in a matter of minutes. This guy was tricky, and Celine didn't want to prolong this fight.

Pulling her glove off, she felt her hand shiver from the cold.

Jareth watched her with great interest, not knowing what kind of trick she has up her sleeve. She charged at him with all her might, knocking him off his feet completely.

"Oh no, you have me pinned down," he feigned a worried voice. "What are you going to do now? Physical attacks don't work on me, you have no hope of defeating me."

"Don't be so sure," she murmured, placing a hand on his cheek.

Unsure of what she's attempting, Jareth watched as she chewed her bottom lip in anticipation. He too, was anxious to know what she was attempting by touching him. Or perhaps this was her way to by time. Maybe she thinks a little skin contact will distract him long enough for her to think of a plan to-.

A horrid feeling hit him right then. It was as if his insides were on fire, and he was unable to think straight. Jareth weakly looked up at Celine and saw her grinning, so this was her doing…

"I-."

One word was all he could say, the rest came out as rasp coughs. He realizes he needs to do something fast before it gets worst.

Celine pushed down harder when the boy began shifting underneath her. The snowfall's pace began to quicken around her, snow was piling on the top of her head by the second.

Jareth has already turned an ugly grayish purple, can he still possibly have power to control the weather?

Suddenly, her fingers felt cold and she felt something soft against her palm. Turning back down, she saw that Jareth's face has turned pure white.

"Snow…" she mumbled as she pulled back her hand and stood up.

The body on the ground began to crumble down into snow, and soon the whole figure merged with the surrounding snow.

Celine cautiously moved back as she gloved her hand again.

Just what in the world was up with his powers? Kicks don't work, her Devil Fruit powers don't work, how was she supposed to fight him?

"I told you already…"

The voice came from right behind her.

It felt like Déjà vu.

Celine didn't dare turn around after pulling that stunt.

"You have no hope of defeating me. So you might as well save your friends and come with me."

Was this really it?

Has all those days of hectic training come down to this? Was this all she could do after training so hard? A mocking voice inside head said: _'Yes, after trying so hard this is all you're worth – nothing. You cannot even defeat an enemy to save your crew. You're useless.'_

But, the voice was wrong.

Celine blinked a few times, attempting to repress her tears. She already felt defeated, there was no need to cry and feel even worse because of it. Right now there was something she can do for the crew. It wasn't something pleasant but it was something she can do to save them.

"Alright. I'll come with you."

"Oh?"

"I'll come," she repeated as she turned to face him.

"Good, I was beginning to tire of this pointless fight," he smiled.

"Now let them go," she said. "Stop the blizzard… stop the snow."

Jareth nodded with a small chuckle. He then snapped his fingers and crossed his arms. Celine examined the sky but saw no change.

"There is a difference," he waved his fingers. "That little snap of my fingers was the difference between your crew lying dead under my snow or your crew surviving."

"And if I say I don't believe you?"

"Well… you can always try to fight me again and see how that goes for you," he leaned to one side and eyed Celine mischievously. "… No response? Shall we go then?"

"Can I get my things first?"

"There's no need for that," Jareth pulled an arm under her leg and scooped her up. "You'll be living like a queen with me, you'll have everything you ever want."

"Put me down," she frowned. "You can't seriously be thinking of walking through your town with me in your arms."

"On the contraire, we're flying."

Jareth feet vanished and turned into snow, and he hovered into the air. Celine gulped and looked down at the ground that now seemed to far away.

"You might want to hold onto me tighter," Jareth teased. "I might drop you by accident."

Just who did he think he is?

Celine put an arm over his neck reluctantly and pulled herself closer to him.

**XoXo**

A third of the way into the island, the other half of the Heart Pirates finally made it to a small settlement. People seem to whisper and shy away as they walked by. Something none of them were very comfortable about.

"Don't you think it was kind of strange how that heavy snow storm just stopped so quickly?" Shachi asked.

"Weird how?" Kane turned to him.

"Well we weren't able to move forward for at least twenty minutes because of how strong it was," Shachi recalled. "But out of nowhere the snow just stopped. It just seemed a little strange to me."

"It probably just passed," Ryuu shrugged.

Law kept quiet but he did notice the sudden change too and wasn't too keen to find out what caused it and why it stopped. Or perhaps, in this case, how Jareth did it and why he stopped.

Something didn't feel right.

"… Shachi?"

"Yes Captain?"

"Would you run back to the ship and check up on the rest of the crew?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. "Ask no questions, just do it."

Shachi gave him a look but nodded nonetheless and turned back towards the coast.

The rest of the Heart Pirates walked inwards towards a large gate that put a boundary between the small settlements and the pristine houses along with the large castle.

There was an obvious caste divide, and so far Law hasn't seen a single child running around, just tired and scared adults. A dire thought popped up on his mind – being under the rule of such a young boy, what if he had decided to shut the adults out and to keep the children?

It couldn't be. It was a ludicrous idea to even suggest.

"It's unsettling how these people look at us," Law murmured quietly.

"Hey, they're the ones that have to live under King Bratface," Ryuu shrugged. "And if he wants every pirate dead, won't be too good for them to see pirates strolling about down their town-, village thing and not do anything about it."

"He's right, you know."

An elderly woman approached the pirates, hands behind her back and she slumped forward over slightly.

"You shouldn't be here," she said.

"And what are you going to do with us?" Law asked.

"Nothing," she coughed. "It's been quite a few months since someone last reached here after a blizzard. There must be good reason to why King Jareth has spared you."

"Spared us?" Kane scoffed. "As if, we wouldn't have died over a little snow storm."

"Oh, you shouldn't be so sure about that, young man," she shook her head. "Outside the walls, every bit of snow you step on is covered in blood. It's so because when King Jareth sends out a blizzard, the whole island but the middle rings are affected."

"So your people are affected too?" Law asked.

"Yes, we have wounded from the blizzard just now," she nodded bleakly.

"Do you have medical help?" Kane glanced around.

"We have supplies but our only two doctors both live up at the castle," she sighed. "The King likes to keep the skilled close to him. … Would you happen to have a doctor on your crew?"

"Our captain's a doctor," Kane directed her attention to Law.

"Would you be so kind as to take a look at our wounded?" she asked with a kind smile. "We'll be most thankful if you did."

"I can, but what do you have to offer me?" Law asked. Her smile dropped immediately at realizing what kind of man he was. "Your thanks does nothing for me and my crew."

There was really nothing else these people could offer, that both she and Law knew. Nothing except…

"Information," she said. "I served at the castle under the late king and queen. I know the history of King Jareth, how he got his powers, what his powers are, and what led him to kill his parents. Finally, I have a very good idea as to why he let you go – it was probably the same as last time."

Law had fairly good guesses for each point she stated, but still he couldn't know for sure.

"You make a good bargain," he smirked. "I don't have my equipment with me, but if I can use yours I'd be happy to take a look at them."

"Thank you," she smiled. "I am Carmen, what can I call you?"

"Law," he replied. "Trafalgar Law."

"Captain Law then," she nodded in acknowledgement. "Follow me."

The pirate followed Carmen through the small rundown huts and eventually arrived at a barn-like construction. Inside, lying on makeshift beds made of straw were the injured people.

Law examined each one closely and concluded the same for all three: mild frostbite.

"I'll need some hot water and towels," Law rolled his sleeves up. "And try to warm down this building as much as you can."

The helpers that were tending to the men rushed off to different directions. One went to retrieve the needed items and the three went to secure the doors and windows.

"This won't take long or be challenging for me," Law spoke to Carmen. "Tell me everything about Jareth."

"… It was six years ago when the king and queen were still ruling the island," Carmen started slowly. "It was the year of Prince Jareth's tenth birthday and nobles and lords from all over arrived bearing presents. There was a lord Winston got to the castle, presenting a Logia Devil Fruit of snow. He said it was 'fitting' for a prince to be able to control the island's weather and power."

"I can't imagine his parents were happy about having their child run around wreaking havoc with his new found powers," Law murmured, wrapping a warmed towel around a man's arm.

"They weren't keen on the idea," Carmen agreed. "The fruit was to kept locked away until they feel they're son was ready for it."

"But?"

"Jareth got impatient over the years and grew an incredible hatred for his parents for keeping away what was rightfully his," she said. "After two years, he's decided he's had enough and he broke into the royal treasury and ate the fruit. Now something changed within him when he ate the fruit. All that kept up hate for his parents, his tutors, the traditions that he had to follow mindlessly… well you can imagine. He had the power to do whatever he pleased so he did what he always wanted to – take over. His parents were killed, then every adult but a few to look after his toddler brother."

Law nodded for her to continue, unfazed by what he's heard so far.

"From then on, every crew that arrived on the island – both pirates and civilians, were killed on the spot, but always the children would be spared and invited to live on the island," Carmen said. "Less, when the help was lacking he would spare the able bodied."

"Of course his actions weren't gone unseen and got him a high bounty," Carmen elaborated. "And the World Government sent numerous warships and vice-admirals to come but none made it too close before Jareth cut them down. After a year of cutting down marines, the World Government finally sent an admiral."

"What?" Law was not expecting that, at all. "And?"

"Aokiji, I think his name was," Carmen recalled. "He had similar powers to Jareth but he was much more experienced. The fight ended with Jareth's defeat obviously, but then he struck a deal."

"A deal?"

"Yes, he proposed to for the World Government to leave him alone and in return he'll kill every criminal and pirate that arrived on the island, along with some gold. The admiral asked what he'd do with civilians, and Jareth promised to spare them," Carmen explained. "What he didn't know was that he only planned to spare their lives, he said nothing about what he's going to do with them. That's how most of the workers here ended up on the island."

"And the World Government agreed to this?" Law asked, feeling sicker by the minute. "After murdering hundreds?"

"Normally something like this wouldn't stand, but I've heard that Jareth's parents have had dealings with the Celestial Dragons and the World Government probably didn't want to mess with them…"

"I think I can understand the rest," Law nodded. "Can you tell me why he let us go?"

"Well if the reason was the same as last time…" Carmen said, trailing off slowly. "Then that means King Jareth has taken another bride."

Law's mind went blank.

A bride…

Celine.

"Is there a female on your crew?"

"…"

"Yes," Kane replied when his captain didn't.

"Is she pretty to look at?"

"Very," Ryuu retorted.

Law calculated all the scenarios in his head. Sure that has happened before, but that doesn't necessarily mean Celine was taken to be the bride of some sixteen-year-old. They were trapped in that snowstorm for twenty minutes at most, that was enough time for… negotiations.

'_Damn!'_

"How do you know so much about this?" Kane asked.

"I was one of the few spared after his initial attack on the island," Carmen shuddered. "But I am the only one left, the others all died over the years."

"Are you upset with Jareth?" Law looked at her carefully.

"No," Carmen shook her head with great dismal. "He's acting like the child he's always been… I believe he can change his ways if he knows how badly it's affecting his kingdom."

"And if there's nothing to be said to him? If he won't listen?" Law persisted.

"… Then he must be put down."

* * *

"Tra_fag_lar Low?"

"No, no," Celine grumbled, pointing at the name she's just written. Perhaps she's written it too cursive for a seven year old to read. "It's Tra_fal_gar Law."

"That's what I said!"

At this very moment, Celine was sat next to Jareth's younger brother, Dean, who had pestered her with questions endlessly about pirates and her crew.

The first thing Jareth did when they arrived was get her dressed 'properly', which meant have the maids pull on the tightest dress they can find. Celine has trouble breathing in the infernal thing, apparently the dress had belonged to the late queen herself and was only brought out for her.

The dress was very beautiful, there was no doubt about that. The dress was a black and red Victorian style with maybe a little too much excessive lace and frills, but it was very beautiful and hugged Celine's body just right.

"What does he look like?" Dean asked.

"Um… well he's kind of tall, wears a fluffy hat, and he has these tattoos all over his arms," Celine explained, pointing to her forearm.

Dean scribbled a sketch that looked as if it was drawn by a two year old. At least he gave Law a nice smile. Something that Celine found herself strangely missing.

"That's kinda weird," Dean wrinkled his nose, dropping his crayons.

"Yeah? Well it's the truth," she scoffed.

"I miss Karen…" Dean whined.

"Who?"

"Nii-chan's last wife," Dean smiled as he thought back. "She's a lot nicer than you… but not as pretty…"

"Last wife?" Celine frowned a little. "How many has there been?"

"Uh… three," he thought hard. "… I think."

"You think?" she repeated. "Where are they now?"

"They live in the basement," he shrugged. "Well that's what Nii-chan said."

Basement…

A prison, more like.

"Do you think you can bring me to the pri- basement?" Celine asked.

"Nope," he shook his head. "I'm not allowed down there."

"Well the new queen will be with you," Celine told him. "As the queen I can do whatever I want right?"

"Uh… I guess so…" he nodded slowly.

Celine stood up and held her hand out to the little boy, in which he happily took it and led her out the room.

"So, do you know what happened to your parents?" she asked.

"Nii-chan said they died a while ago," Dean shrugged back. "He doesn't like talking about them."

"Aren't you curious to why how they died?" Celine looked down to him.

"Not really," he shook his head. "Adults kinda suck anyway. Nii-chan always said that adults are corrupt and selfish."

"… Do you even know what those words mean?"

"… No," he slowly admitted. "But I like fish though."

Celine didn't know if she should laugh or explain, she chose to laugh, albeit quietly.

Dean led her to a dark stairwell and hid behind Celine's large dress skirt. It looked to be a spiral staircase leading down into darkness. It didn't look like Dean liked the idea of going down very much, and now Celine wasn't so sure she did either.

"This is your home right?" Celine whispered to him. "Why don't you go first?"

"No way!" he yelped. "You're older! You have to listen to me! Now you go down there first!"

"What kind of logic is that?" she frowned.

"That's what Nii-chan always said!"

Just what kind of upbringing has this child had so far?

"That's stupid," she turned back to the staircase.

Celine pulled a lit torch from the wall closest and took a step down carefully. The stone staircase seemed stable enough, and completely safe, so she took another. Dean waited at the top anxiously as Celine disappeared down, the light from her torch too disappeared as the steps went further.

"C-Celine?" he called.

"Come down here," she said. "It's very safe, and not scary at all!"

"B-But…"

"Stop being a crybaby," she sighed. "Just come on down!"

"I-I am no crybaby!" he yelled as he took rushed steps down.

Eventually the footsteps sounded closer and Celine felt a small shove behind her legs. Turning around, she saw Dean grasping onto the back of her skirt.

"Come on, it's not scary," she reached for his hand. "You're sure this is to the basement right?"

"Yeah," he gripped her hand. "Are we going to find Karen down there?"

"Yes," she nodded back. "And your brother's other… ex-wives. Why don't you tell me about them."

"Er… there was Susie, Vic and Karen…" Dean patted his head as he tried to remember. "Susie and Karen were from cruises… Vic was from another pirate ship… like you… I think."

"You think?" this seemed to be the boy's favorite phrase. "What do you mean, 'you think'?"

"Well she had really ugly short hair, and a really ugly scar down her leg," Dean glowered. "Are you sure you're a pirate too? You look like a fairy princess even if you do have black hair…"

"And fairy princesses can't have black hair?"

"Nope," he retorted. "Fairy princesses have yellow hair and blue eyes. So at least you have one part right."

"… Right."

"And you're like really pretty," he went on. "Nii-chan said I can't have a wife yet… he said I don't understand what relationshits are yet."

"Relationships," she corrected him with a light giggle. "And if there's something your brother got right, that'd be it."

"That's what I said!" he exclaimed.

Reaching to the bottom of the stairs, Celine saw a dimly lit corridor and not a single guard was present. She quickly tugged Dean along the corridor and through a stone arch. A large cell was at the end of the room. Inside the cell were three women, exactly like Dean said. The little boy pulled away from Celine and ran towards the cell at full speed.

"Karen! Karen!"

"Dean? What are you doing here?"

Celine looked on as Dean ran to the woman must have been Karen. They exchanged a few quiet words as one of the other women joined Karen's side to listen to the story.

"Celine brought me here!" Dean pointed back at her. "She's not very nice but she looks like a fairy!"

"Fairy?" Karen looked up Dean. "Oh… Hi there."

"Hi."

Celine waved as she took a small step forward. Then it hit her like she stepped into a brick wall, from the pit of her stomach she felt sick, as if she was going to faint. She fell onto one knee and held her head.

"What the hell was that?" she murmured softly.

"That's Kairoseki, darlin'."

Towards the back of the cage, a tall figure hopped off from the top of the tall three-bunker bed. This must have been Vic, the other pirate. Her hair was longer, than how Dean described but a large gash was present on her left leg.

"Kairoseki," Celine repeated, trying to get to her feet.

"Stone with essence of the sea?" Vic snorted. "You mean, you don't even know that? What kinda girl are you?"

"You're the one that's locked behind that stuff," Celine shrugged.

"Heh," Vic smirked. "What's your power, cutie pie?"

"I can kill someone if I touch them long enough," Celine replied, quieter so the other three can't hear.

"Eh? Not bad at all," Vic smiled. "Devil Hands Celine, huh? Nice. I touch something, say a number and it'll multiply in weight."

"So you can send someone through the floor if you want to?"

"Yeah sure," Vic shrugged back, then pulled Celine closer to the cage – making her feel even sicker. "But I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut about the killing part. Tell the kid you knock people out or whatever. That'll probably keep you from getting one of these."

Vic held her hand and pointed at a metal band around her wrist. A bright shiny gem was embedded onto the thick band. Vic tugged at the band to no avail as it stayed in its place around her small wrist.

"The bastard got one put in a bracelet," Vic groaned. "As if the cage wasn't enough."

"Does it hurt?" she looked closer to the bracelet.

"Normally something like jewelry will just repress the powers," Vic thumbed at the stone. "But that bastard added enough just so that it bothers me at all times. You should go though, the guards will come down soon with dinner. "

"Any advice?" Celine looked to her hopefully.

"Yeah, I got kicked down here for causing too much trouble, and he got tired of it," Vic warned her. "The kid's gonna be generally nice to you from this point on so just go with it for now. The kid's surprisingly a polite bastard for a killer. But those other two were kicked down cuz' he got 'bored'. Elaborate how you like, but do try to last longer than Karen goody two shoes here."

"How long did you last for?" Celine turned to Karen.

"A week."

"Wow…" Celine nodded uneasily then turned to Vic. "Anything else before I go?"

"Yeah, tell that bastard Jareth I'm coming after him," Vic grinned. "… Right after I get out, of course."

"Can I do anything for you?" asked.

"Bring me some frosted muffins the next time you come down," Vic waved. "I'll have something for you when you're back. Come back right after midnight, the guards usually leave then."

"Right," Celine nodded and walked over to Dean. "Time to go."

"But I don't wanna go…!" the boy whined.

"Come on, if your brother catches us here we'll never be able to come down again," Celine threatened.

"Urgh… fine," he stomped to the staircase. "Bye Karen, Susie, uh Vic!"

Celine gave the other two a polite nod and headed upstairs with Dean.

"Now Dean," Celine said as they walked down the hall. "You mustn't tell your brother we went down to the basement or that we saw Karen, Susie and Vic. Got it?"

"Uh… okay," Dean nodded.

"You promise?"

"… Yeah! Whatever! Jeez!"

Dean skipped down the hall and pulled open the door to his playroom and ran inside. Celine followed quickly and almost screamed when she looked inside. Standing over Dean was his older brother, looking very unpleased.

Did he know? Is he angry? He sure looked angry. Now she was definitely getting thrown into the Kairoseki prison, after just getting here for a few hours…

"Where have you two been?" Jareth demanded.

"Hi Nii-chan!" Dean grinned. "Celine wanted to see the hall where you two are going to get married, so I showed her!"

"Seriously?" Jareth looked to Celine and she needed back eagerly. "… All right."

"Uh… is there anything you wanted?" Celine asked nervously, still worried he might suspect something.

"Yes," he shooed his brother out the room. "Come, its time to eat."

"Oh, right."

Celine followed after him, thankful he didn't try anything weird. Even if they were engaged (or whatever he insisted), he was still a few years younger than her, and it didn't feel right at all.

**XoXo**

Dinner went by a lot quicker than she expected. Celine tried to take a grab of the frosted muffins but Dean kept the large plate right in front of him and refused to pass any over to her.

"Where are you from, Celine?" Jareth turned to her.

A single question from him caused her to jolt from her chair.

"Kalmado, it's one island away from yours," Celine replied hastily.

"Do you have family?"

"A brother and sister," she replied.

"Should they be invited to our wedding?" he wondered out loud.

"No!" Celine interjected. "I-I mean, they're quite a bit older than me. You don't like adults right?"

"Just people older than me in general," he shrugged as he toyed with his cutlery.

"Why do you like me?" she tried to catch his eye.

"Who said I did?" he stabbed his piece of cake with the fork.

"I wouldn't be here if you didn't," she sighed.

He didn't reply, instead he dropped his fork and crossed his arms.

Celine wanted to smack him, but then realized he was only sixteen and grew up doing whatever he liked. Having his parents 'gone' since he was twelve must have been difficult even if he wanted to be independent.

"Well, why don't you like people older than you?" she tried again.

"… It's really none of your business," he snapped back as he stood. "I'm going back-."

"My king!"

A young man ran into the dining room and knelt before them.

"The rest of the pirates were sighted tending to the injured in the outer ring," he informed.

"The outer ring?" Jareth frowned. "And Carmen?"

"She was the one leading them," he gulped.

"… Get my brother to his room!" Jareth roared. "I'm going to sort this out personally!"

Celine picked up three muffins and made a move to the door but Jareth grabbed her by the arm, causing her to drop the muffins.

'_Oh damn!'_

"You are coming with me," Jareth instructed her, pulling her out into the cold.

"Wait, wait!" she wailed. "At least let me get a coat or something!"

**XoXo**

Ten minutes later, Celine was stepping through the large gate behind Jareth wearing a thick fluffy long-sleeved poncho and feeling very warm. She doesn't remember seeing this part of the island at all, since when she was being hauled over to the castle earlier she was feeling very sick and closed her eyes the whole time. This 'outer ring' looked more like slums compared to the castle and inner rings.

People were gathered all around the gate when they stepped through, probably surprised to see the gate opening at all.

Jareth strode to the middle of the crowd and felt nothing when the crowd shied back further.

"I am looking for pirate fugitives," he announced. "I know they're here, if you want to keep your lives you will turn them in."

No one dared to utter a word or as much as move.

Celine swallowed nervously as she looked through the crowd.

When no one moved, Jareth grew more impatient and the weather began to change with his worsening mood. A heavy wind blew through and snow began to rage around him.

"Jareth."

The crowd gasped as Carmen stepped forward and stood a few short meters from the young king.

"You," Jareth clenched his fists and the snow stopped.

"Isn't this enough?" Carmen asked, waving her arms around to the people. "Haven't they suffered enough? You are acting like the spoilt child you are."

"You know nothing!" Jareth growled.

Swatting a hand, the snow knocked the old lady off her feet. Celine gasped as she took a step forward and clutched Jareth's arm.

"Stop," she said. "Please, she's old and doesn't know what she's saying."

"You're wrong about that," he pulled away from her.

"Y-You…"

The lady's weak voice called from the ground, her shaking voice brought everyone's attention to her.

"You look… just like- like…"

"Don't you say a word more!" Jareth cried, taking a defensive step forward.

"J-Just like the late Queen Cathlyn," Carmen gasped, her gaze lingering on the young girl standing next to the king. "Jareth… what does this-."

"Shut up!"

Jareth shouted as he lifted both hands in the air, gathering a large pile of snow between his open palms.

"Stop!"

Celine pulled his back, but it didn't work as his back melted away when she tried punching and shoving him. Jareth was murmuring under his breath and was completely unaware of her behind him.

Seeing as nothing seemed to work, Celine was about to step in front of him to block his view of the lady. But someone beat her to it.

Law walked forward from the crowd and stepped over Carmen's body.

"I am Trafalgar Law, I am the captain of the Heart Pirates. I am not aware of your past with her nor do I care, but I'm the one you're after, so you might as well leave this dying woman alone," Law said. "I don't wish to cause you anymore trouble than I already have. I just want to speak to my crewmember one last time before I leave."

'_What the hell, Law!'_

Celine slowly stepped forward, right in front of the old lady's body.

"…" Jareth slowly dropped his hands when he saw Celine in his view. "No. You will leave now and not to return. I've been more than generous by letting you leave."

"I speak to her once," Law looked at Jareth squarely. "And you'll never see me again."

"Please," Celine turned to face him, her eyes teary and cheeks flushed. "I promise. If you let me speak to him then I'll do whatever you ask when we get back… please."

Jareth looked between the two, wondering what kind of relationship the two shared. Was it just a simple captain to crew relation? Didn't look that way at all. But Jareth couldn't find himself saying no to Celine, not with her making that expression.

"Be quick," he huffed, giving them some space.

Law helped Carmen up on her feet and two workers came to help her. The crowds slowly dispersed as Law turned back to Celine.

"You look nice," he said softly.

"What do you mean you're leaving?" she demanded right away.

"You left on your own," Law said sternly. "You're wearing his clothes, eating his food, and you are now his."

"Law! Please!" Celine choked on her tears. "It's not as if I wanted to go! I-I never wanted to go! Please you have to believe me! I couldn't defeat him, and I didn't know what else I could have done to save you! To save everyone! Please… listen to-."

"Enough with your excuses," Law raised his voice causing her to wince. "I don't want to hear it! I just needed to tell you that even though it was short-lived, everyone enjoyed their time with you. And they hope you have a nice life living here with-."

Celine snapped at that moment, she ran forward into him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Law stopped talking immediately, surprised by the sudden contact and looked down at her, not knowing what he can do to make her stop. Her warm tears drenched his hoodie, and she sniffled on.

Law's arm pulled his arms out of her grasp and lingered them over her shoulders, unsure what he should do to quell her tears.

"Don't leave me…" she whispered into his chest, her voice sour from all the crying. "Please… don't leave me."

Law gulped as he looked up, anywhere but her.

This was going to be a lot more difficult than he originally planned.

Celine shook when she felt her fingers being torn away from the soft fabric of Law's hoodie.

'_No!'_

'_He can't do this to me!'_

Law held her tiny hands tightly and looked her straight in the eyes.

"I'm sorry for doing this," he said quietly. "You'll understand soon enough."

Once that was said, Law pulled away and turned his back on her. Celine felt as if her world just crashed down on her. More tears began to roll down her cheeks as she watched him go.

This felt final. It was now or never.

Celine took a deep breath to clear her head and licked her lips.

"Law!"

His step faltered for a slight moment, but he continued to walk.

"Law! I lo-."

Celine then felt something in her hand. Something she hadn't noticed before. Peeking down slowly she saw a small crumpled piece of paper sitting in her palm. Her breath hitched as she clenched it tightly in her fist.

'_He…'_

She broke out into a mad grin and looked after Law's retreating back.

"Wait!" she called as she ran after him. "Wait!"

Law stopped walking when he felt her voice getting closer, he turned around to tell her to go away but was instead met with a heavy slap.

"I hate you!" she screeched, though her face begged to differ. "I will never forgive you for this!"

Law held his cheek as he watched more tears roll, though this time from happiness judging from her expression. Celine then ran back to the gates, and into Jareth's open arms. Though it pained him to watch her leave snuggling up with another, he was glad she understood they weren't going to abandon her.

Now all he needed to do was wait.

**XoXo**

Once arriving back at the castle, Celine excused herself to the bathroom immediately, eager to read what crumpled note. Pulling the note from her dress pocket, she carefully straightened the paper out.

'_We will not leave without you. Find a way out of the castle, and we'll take care of the rest.'_

Celine slammed a hand over her mouth to stop herself from squealing in joy. She shouldn't have doubted them at all. She shouldn't have doubted Law. Deciding she better get rid of the note, she quickly ripped it up into pieces and flushed it down the toilet.

Putting on a smile, she opened the door, knowing that she still has her night ahead of her.

* * *

**I felt like crying writing that bit when Law and Celine say goodbye, and I feel like a terrible person for even coming up with this idea. But I was going to leave it with her looking back at him and her finding out about the paper next chapter, so I'm feeling pretty nice already :P **

**I know I kinda jammed that whole bit of Jareth's past in one short bit of the chapter but people just need to know why he's demented :P**

**I hope this was One Piece Epic-ish enough. I wanted the Heart Pirates story 'arcs' to be just as interesting as the Strawhats' – well never as great as Oda's writing but still One Piece-level awesome :D**

**Thanks to those that favorited and alerted this story! :)**

**Reviews:**

10th Squad 3rd Seat – Thanks for spotting the mistake again and thanks for the review! :D

Death's Eternal Rose – Haha, I'd like to hear about it! :D Law's first stalker move was all the way in chapter two (hint-hint :P). Yeah, nothing like a little girl falling for her savior :') Thanks for the review!

angelrider13 – Law SO likes Celine and Celine so likes Law :P Thanks for the review :D

xxOMGgalxx – Oh, who knows what sorts of dreams he has about Celine ;P Thank you for the review :)

Noitalapsi – Haha, have you remembered yet? :P Thanks! I appreciate it! Last chapter was kind of like character development or whatnot :P Thanks for your review! :D

Demeter13909 – Will you stare at this for two full days? xD Thanks for the review – it made me smile! :P

ladeste – Thank you! I'm glad you like it! :D

Shima Namida – No! Please don't feel bad! It's completely fine! :) Thank you! I put a lot of thought into how Celine's going to get stronger. I didn't want her to get too over-powered over such a short period of time, so she'll be gradually improving! :P Thanks for your review! I really appreciate the fact that it's long! :P

Aiko Yamazaki – How did you find it? I didn't really come up names for Jareth's ice attacks, I just wasn't bothered… but I hope it came out alright! :P Thanks for the review!

JenniferJ – Thank you! :)

**Updates will be slow from now on with summer ending and everything, but I'll try to fit in one more chapter before school starts and I'll write whenever I have free time. **

**Please review! :D**


	7. Questions and Answers

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Seven: Questions and Answers**_

* * *

Celine checked the time as she got out of the bathroom. There was still three hours left before she was supposed to go see Vic downstairs in the basement. There was still the matter of frosted muffins she was supposed to bring her, but she should be all right to come without them, right? It's not like Vic won't help her just because she didn't have them, after all Celine's probably the only one that can do something for her from out here.

Since she didn't want to show up empty-handed, Celine snuck out of her bedroom and headed downstairs, hoping to bump into that will direct her to the kitchens. Peeking into each room in her way, she noticed that the castle was vastly empty. There were numerous guest rooms and lounges but all looked like they haven't been touched in a long time.

Stepping into what looked like a study, Celine glanced around as this room looked regularly used. Perhaps there was a maid or too lingering about somewhere… But like the last few rooms, the place was deserted too.

Celine looked through the bookshelves, they all were history and geology books. These books looked far more advanced for a sixteen-year-old, they must have belonged to the king and queen.

Realizing there was nothing more for her here, Celine turned around and almost toppled over. Hanging above the door was a large portrait of the royal family – a younger Jareth sat on the king's lap, both sprouting similar grins and a small baby lay in the queen's arms.

The resemblance between queen and her were uncanny. The queen had fairer hair but her face was almost identical to Celine's. Something Celine didn't know what to think of. Didn't Jareth hate his parents? Shouldn't he have struck her down the first moment he saw her?

"Nii-chan! I found her!"

The door was creaked open and Dean poked his head in, he waved his hand as Jareth appeared behind him.

"I need to speak with you," he said.

"So do I," she nodded.

Dean stood by the door as he looked between the two, unaware of the events that happened after dinner.

"… In private," Celine elaborated when no one moved.

"Right," Jareth nodded then turned to the boy. "Dean, head back to your bedroom now."

Dean made a face at his brother and then held onto Celine's arm, pulling her down to his level.

"Tell Karen I say hi," he whispered quietly before running off.

"What was that about?" Jareth stared at his brother until he vanished behind the door.

"He was just saying goodnight," Celine lied. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

"It's about what happened earlier," he took a seat on one of the armchairs. "Trafalgar Law was your captain right?"

"… Yes, but I don't see how that matters anymore," she sat next to him.

"Was there more to your relationship?" he absentmindedly ran his fingers on the soft velvet of the chair.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you two share something more?" she gave him a quizzical look. "… As in, were you two involved?"

"… Are you jealous?" she slowly smirked.

"Not at all," he shook his head. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Then why did you ask?" she sneered.

"I was just curious," he snapped. "It's not normal to burst into tears like you did earlier."

"Well we're only human, right?" she shrugged. "It's normal to cry when feeling sadness."

"… There's something else," he said.

"Hm?"

"You also said if I let you speak with him, then you'd do whatever I want," he slowly began. "It's a little strange but I would like to-."

"Not so fast," she hushed him. "You've already asked a question, I think it's my turn."

"… Fine, go ahead."

"That old lady, Carmen was it? She said I looked like your mother," Celine said as she pointed up at the portrait. "And it looks like she was telling the truth. What's this about? Didn't you hate your parents?"

"… You don't look like her that much," he murmured.

Wow, he really was just a kid.

"Seriously? You think I believe that?" she looked to the portrait again. "It's like looking in a mirror, except she has nicer hair than me."

Jareth said nothing but sat up a little in his seat.

"So you're not going to tell me?" she sighed, quickly getting on her feet. "Then we have nothing more to talk about."

Celine gave him a look before heading out the door, staring at the portrait the whole time. Thinking to herself – what was he really hiding?

"I didn't realize it at first," he called after her. "When I first saw you… I just couldn't bring myself to attacking you without speaking with you first."

"I don't follow," she slowly sat back down.

"I didn't realize that you looked like my mother immediately," he sighed. "I just thought you were special then. … But moving on, about the favor you owe me…"

Celine gulped and turned away from him. Thinking she should have left when she had the chance…

**XoXo**

"Why only me?"

Jonah frowned at the crewmembers gathered on deck. They had found out from Carmen that the log pose will take at least five days to set, so someone will need to inform Celine and make sure she doesn't leave too early, and of course to help her.

"You're sixteen," Kane said. "Anyone older than the king can't enter. So we're stuck out here."

"And how exactly am I supposed to reach Celine?" Jonah crossed his arms. "I'm not exactly going to stroll into the castle and ask for the king's fiancé/prisoner."

"You'll have to find a way," Law spoke quietly.

The captain's been on an edge ever since the incident that happened earlier. Originally, Law had wanted to avoid a fight with Jareth at all costs, if he's a Logia fruit user then that'll make things a lot more complicated. Though he knew trying to avoid him would be almost impossible, so if he were to fight Jareth, he needed more preparation on his part. Much more.

Law has fought Logia fruit users before, and they were incredibly annoying to deal with. Even with Haki, many manage to recover as if nothing had happened. Though they were more older and experienced users, perhaps Jareth at such a young age has never experienced someone with Haki before. If Law could find the right moment, he just may be able to use the element of surprise to defeat him.

Maybe things will work out for him. Sure Jareth had a superior fruit to his, and he controls the whole island's weather, but he's only narrowly survived an encounter with an admiral and because of his age he was probably more irrational and prone to make mistakes. The more Law thought about, the keener he was to fighting Jareth.

Taking down someone with such a high bounty would mean that his would rise too. Also if he does manage to take down Jareth, then the people of the island would be grateful to him too. So not only does he get Celine back, but there's much more in it for him.

"Alright! I'll go…" Jonah sighed.

"Atta boy!" Kane grinned.

**XoXo**

With the help of Carmen, Jonah had managed to sneak into the inner rings through the drainage pipes. It hadn't been pleasant, but whatever works. The inner rings were very much different from beyond the tall wall. For one, the snow wasn't stained red with blood. There were also children running around, and a lot of women who were to take care of them. Well more as if they were to tend to the children's every single request – no matter how small or ridiculous it was.

In short, Jonah didn't like the place.

A heaven for children?

It was more of an uncivilized circus of bratty spoiled children.

Jonah kept walking down the cold stone path that led to the second gate to the castle. Haven't thought much about it before, Jonah was no worried over how he was going to get in. Perhaps he can sneak in? There's bound to be some cracks in the tight security.

"Hey!"

The voice came from a short little girl that reminded him a lot of Raena from the last island, but much older, at least in her early teens.

"Are you new here?" she asked, studying his face. "I've never seen you around here before…"

"Uh… sorta," Jonah rubbed the back of his head. "What's your name?"

"It's Amy," she grinned. "… You know, you stick out like a sore thumb."

"What? Do I really?" he glanced around.

"Yeah," she chuckled. "You're not planning to sneak into the castle or something, are you?"

"… Am I really that easy to figure out?" Jonah mumbled.

"Eh," she shrugged. "But you've got no chance of entering the palace… at least not now."

"What do you mean?"

"It's almost midnight, try tomorrow afternoon," she advised. "You might be able to get an audience with the king then."

"I'm not looking to see the king," Jonah said. "I need to speak to Celine."

"Celine? As in the king's fiancé?" he nodded back. "Just who are you?"

"I'm a part of the crew she was in," he replied.

"… Come with me," she said quietly.

"What?"

"Just come," she insisted with a small wave of her hand. "Let's speak at my house."

The girl didn't seem like the type to cause any troubles for him, so he went with her. Jonah learned that Amy shared a house with two others, both were aged fourteen and were taken from their parents. The two were already asleep when they came in. Amy poured a glass of water for Jonah and they sat at the dining table.

"When's your birthday?" Amy asked.

"September," Jonah replied.

"Good, you're younger than Jareth," Amy nodded. "Even if you're born in the same year as him, the moment you turn seventeen you get treated like an adult."

"And how are adults treated?" he picked up his cup.

"Poorly," her eyes wavered down to the table. "I've always lived on this island, and when Jareth became king my parents were taken from me."

"Can't you just lie about your age?" Jonah asked.

"Sure, someone did that once," Amy tapped her finger. "Jareth found out anyway and had him killed on the spot. No one tried again."

"Oh…" he gulped. "Where are your parents now?"

"Dad lives in the outer ring, and my mum works in the castle as a servant," Amy said.

"Do you ever see them?"

"I see my mother occasionally when she escorts the prince around town, but never my father."

"Do you ever speak with her?"

"No."

A heavy silence overcame the pair. It wasn't Jonah's intention to offend her at all, he was just curious to know about the island's customs. Carmen had told the crew about the injustice in Jareth's ruling, but never did Jareth imagine it would be this terrible.

"Anyway…" she coughed. "What business do you have with Jareth's fiancé?"

"…"

"I won't tell," she reassured him. "I hate Jareth just as much as you, trust me."

"… My captain plans to rescue her, but he doesn't want to fight through all the security," Jonah explained. "He wouldn't say why, but I think it's because he knows that many were forced to serve under Jareth."

"I see…" Amy nodded, wondering what kind of person his captain was. "So what's the plan?"

"Sneak in, tell Celine about the log pose and how it'll set in five days, help her break out in five days, and if lucky, run away in time so that Jareth doesn't catch us."

"But you can't just leave us!" Amy exclaimed. "Your captain is strong right? He can beat Jareth right?"

"Well, it's true that Captain's never lost to anyone but…"

"But?"

"Jareth is decently strong…"

"… You're right," she sighed. "Knowing Jareth, he won't go down without a fight… I doubt you'd be able to escape with fighting him."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Jonah rolled his eyes. "So how do you propose I get into the castle?"

"Your best bet would be get hired as a bus-boy or something," she said. "Sometimes kids that are about to turn older than Jareth begin working first so they can secure themselves in a nice spot. I'd try the castle kitchens, they're normally in need of help."

"Alright, thanks," he nodded, sipping his water.

"Who's Celine anyway? Is she your captain's girlfriend?"

"Nah… They argue like it's their job, but they should really get together though. They're kinda one of those couples that are just meant to be," Jonah slowly smiled. "And even though she hasn't been with us for long, we're like a family, and family don't leave each other behind. Especially after Celine made such a face when she begged us not to leave her."

"I don't get it."

"Huh?"

"But you're pirates," she slowly said.

"Well my captain's a special guy," Jonah shrugged. "He judges a person well and only recruits good people. Anyway, I should get some rest if I'm to get to the castle early tomorrow."

"You can take the sofa," she pointed to the living room.

Jonah said his thanks and finished his glass of water. He had a very long day ahead of him tomorrow, and he should get as much rest as he can.

**XoXo**

'_Wedding in four days… Wedding in four days…'_

Those words haunted her as she slowly paced her bedroom. When she found out Jareth's favor wasn't anything sexual or awkward as that, she was incredibly thankful, but then he said that he wished to be wed in four days. That was way too soon, Celine hadn't even thought of a way to escape yet.

The clock chimed twelve, and Celine knew it was time to go.

Maybe Vic had a nice plan for her.

Celine had completely given up on the frosted muffins and decided to just go on ahead to the basement without them.

The stairs were as frightening and dark as ever when she slowly made her way down. Things were a lot scarier in the middle of the night and without a talkative little boy with you.

Like Vic had said, the halls were once again empty as Celine strode across the room and to the cage. Karen and Susie were asleep in their bunks and Vic sat on hers at the very top, slowly swinging her legs back and forth in waiting for her.

"Took you long enough," she hopped off once again. "Where are my muffins?"

"Couldn't get them," she said. "Jareth made me drop them."

"That little asshole!" Vic cursed. "… Whatever. Here, take these."

Vic held out a clenched fist through the bars, and Celine lifted a gloved hand. A handful of Kairoseki fell onto her palm. The feeling of unease magnified considerably.

"I gnawed them off the cage, bit by bit," Vic told her, rather proud of herself. "Found someway to use them to stop the brat. It's not much but I'm sure a pretty gal such as yourself can think of something."

"You think too much of me," Celine frowned as she placed the stones in her pocket. "But I'll try to do something with them. Thank you."

"Alright!" Vic grinned. "You should get back to your comfy little bed for now, and cook up a good plan in your dreams."

"Okay, goodnight," Celine turned to leave.

"Wait, one more thing!" Vic called her back. "Don't forget to lie about your powers, you just might be able to use it to your advantage."

"Understood," Celine nodded. "Thanks."

Vic waved goodbye as Celine left the hall.

* * *

The next morning, Celine was called down early to join the brothers for breakfast. The whole night, Celine was thinking of ways to make use of the Kairoseki, but it would be difficult to do anything with them by herself. Jareth would feel the stone if placed anywhere close to him, so the only way would be to catch him off guard.

"Did you sleep well?" Jareth asked.

"Like a baby," Celine lied with a polite smile.

"Good," Jareth smiled. "New boy! Can we have some water?"

A servant stepped up and poured the three glasses, Celine mumbled thanks as he walked around to the other side of the table to pour Dean's cup. Celine lifted the glass for a drink. The boy looked up towards her and she choked on her water.

"Are you alright?" Jareth patted Celine's back. "What's the matter? What did you do?"

Jareth glared at Jonah who in return looked over at Celine.

"Nothing, your highness," he replied.

"… You look familiar," Jareth said after a short moment. "Where do I know you from?"

"Jareth!" Celine called after catching her breath. "I just had a grand idea for the wedding!"

"Oh?" Jareth immediately turned his attention to his fiancé. "What is it?"

"I was thinking maybe we can-."

Jonah quickly took his place amongst the row of servants and quietly listened on. Celine really saved him back there, if Jareth had recognized him then things will get nasty. As he listened to Celine speak, he slowly caught on the flow of the conversation. She kept repeated the words 'four days', Jonah slowly pieced together what has been said and realized that the wedding was in four days.

This won't do at all. Things would be a lot more complicated if they tried to leave after the wedding, it'll definitely have to be before the wedding that they leave. But that'll mean they'll most definitely have to fight Jareth.

'_What would I do if I were Captain Law?'_ Jareth thought. _'I'd probably think of some badass plan – beat Jareth's little royal butt and get the girl.' _

It wasn't working at all. Jonah was no Law, he can't make big decisions such as this, and now working in the castle, it'll be impossible to make contact with the crew again.

"I need some alone time to think… about the wedding!" Celine announced from the table after she ate. "No one disturb me! No one!"

She really couldn't be more obvious.

Celine marched out of the room and shut the door soundly. Jareth and Dean spoke quietly as they finished their food, mostly Dean asking if Celine was crazy and his brother brushing the topic off.

Soon the two left and Jonah helped gather the dishes with all the other servants. After his work was done for the morning, Jonah made his way up to the bedrooms. Unsure where exactly Celine's room was, he wandered around aimlessly for a couple of minutes. That was until he bumped into another servant that looked a lot like the blonde girl he met last night.

"A-are you Amy's mother?" Jonah stopped in front of her.

"Yes," she replied. "Who are you?"

"I'm Jonah, a friend of your daughter's," Jonah quickly said. "I need to find Celine's bedroom, can you tell me how to get there?"

"I'm Jane," she nodded. "Celine-sama's bedroom is right above this floor, the second door along the right. But she asked not to be disturbed."

"I understand, thank you."

Jonah stepped around the older woman and headed towards the stairs.

"Wait, Jonah-san!"

"Yeah?"

"How's my daughter?"

"… She's doing well."

**XoXo**

Celine tapped her foot anxiously as she waited for Jonah to show up. It's been a few good hours since she saw him at breakfast, so he sure was taking his time. Finally a short knock came from the door.

"I asked to be left alone!"

The door pushed open nonetheless and Jonah crept in, cautiously shutting the door behind him.

"About time!" Celine got on her feet. "What were you doing? Did you get lost or something?"

"Unlike you, I actually have to work while I'm staying here!" Jonah snapped. "You just sit here all day in your fancy little bedroom!"

"Oh shut up," Celine growled. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Captain sent me here to tell you that the log pose will set in five days," he said. "But if the wedding is in four days… then perhaps we need to leave sooner."

"You're telling me!" she frowned. "If I actually marry that brat, I think I might kill myself. We're definitely leaving before the wedding. I'm sure Law can take care of Jareth."

"About that…" Jonah mumbled. "Captain's been acting pretty strange since last night…"

"After what he did to me, he well better be!" Celine plopped back down on the chair. "God, I can't believe he would do that! … Even though he was pretending, seriously… I thought you guys were really going to leave me…"

"No one's leaving you, Celine…" Jonah sighed, sitting across from her. "I don't know if this will help, but Ryuu laughed at you afterwards."

"No, Jonah," she rolled her eyes. "Ryuu laughing at me does not help at all."

Even if she said that, a telltale smile slowly emerged on her lips.

"Oh yeah," she remembered, reaching for a wooden box on the table. "One of Jareth's ex-wives managed to get me some Kairoseki. Since you're here you can help me do something with them."

"And what exactly are we supposed to do with them?" Jonah stared at the box now in his hand.

"Hell if I know," she sighed. "I can't even look at the things without feeling sick, I'm afraid it's up to you."

"What about the ex-wife?"

"Uh… her name is Vic," Celine turned to face him. "She's trapped in a Kairoseki cage down in the basement… Actually going to see her might be our best bet. Jareth's planned all kinds of things for me to do these next few days, so you'll have to see her tonight just after midnight."

"Are you sure? Just who is she anyway?" Jonah asked, unconvinced.

"Yeah," Celine nodded back quickly. "She's got Devil Fruit powers too, if she helps us we'll probably have a better chance of escaping. While you're there, tell her we need to find a way to catch him off guard, something that'll keep him down for a while."

"Yeah, I got it."

"You should probably go now, it'll be troublesome having to come up with an excuse if someone catches you here," she shoved him through the door.

"Yeah, yeah…" Jonah nodded. "I'm taking the stones with me, alright?"

"Take them," Celine waved her hand.

Jonah disappeared out the door and Celine let out a quiet sigh. She was glad there was now someone else with her than could help greatly, Vic had been great so far, but having one of your own is much better.

"Uh Cel?"

The door pushed open and Jonah quickly rushed back into the room.

"What are you doing?" Celine glared daggers. "I won't say it again, if Jareth catches-."

"Your fiancé is coming down the corridor as we speak!" Jonah gave a hushed shout.

"Oh god dammit!" Celine stomped her foot.

Knocks came from the door.

"Celine? Are you alright?"

Things never seem to go her way.

"_Under the bed!"_ she mouthed as she pointed. _"Go hide under the bed!"_

Jonah crawled under the bed but he had a foot dangling out from the side.

"Uh… yeah!" Celine kicked his foot. "Give me a moment!"

"Ow!" Jonah's foot jerked in a strange angle before disappearing under the bed.

"Celine? Was that you?"

"Yes!" Celine rushed to the door quickly and pulled it open. "I accidentally kicked the bed! It hurt pretty badly…"

Jareth wasn't entirely sure what kind of stunt she was trying to pull but he didn't pursue it, he had more pressing questions at hand. He walked in and sat on one of the chairs and she sat next to him.

"So, what brings you here?" she asked.

"It's a strange question but I need to know," Jareth said. "Just what are your powers? I mean, is it safe for me to touch you at all? Or maybe a bit?"

'_What do I tell him? What do I tell him?'_

"_Lie."_

Celine remembered Vic's words.

"I ate the Tachi-Tachi no Mi," she said. "I drain the life-force of whomever I touch to the point where they pass out."

"And you can do this on will?"

"Yes."

Celine studied Jareth's face, unsure if he bought the lie or not. Yes she was wearing gloves, but it was perfectly acceptable in such cold weather. Everything made sense, right? So why wasn't he responding?

"I see," he nodded. "… That's a pretty cool power."

Jareth really was just another teenage boy under all that power and authority. Celine smiled a little at his response and agreed with a nod. Then her eyes strayed to the bed and remembered Jonah was still stuck under there.

"I would like to go on a walk," she stood up. "Would you come with? I'd like to speak some more."

"Of course," Jareth was delighted by the idea of her warming up to him.

Celine picked up the poncho from last night and hooked her arm around Jareth's then they headed out the door, giving Jonah the perfect chance to escape.

"I'd like to know something," she said as they left castle grounds.

"By all means, ask away."

"I understand that adults are locked in the outer ring while children stay protected behind the walls?" she said and he nodded in response. "Why did you do this?"

"… I've never liked adults," he chose to answer truthfully. "Since when I was a child, all I've ever done was listen and follow orders. When my parents denied me of what's rightfully mine, that hatred for them grew stronger. I got sick and tired of doing what I was told. I suppose this was my way of retaliating for all those years."

"But not every adult was responsible," Celine pulled her arm from his. "You can't hold everyone in account for those few that wronged you –Those few who have already paid, with their lives, no less. Well what are you going to do as you grow older? Keep it the same way?"

"You won't understand," he turned away. "Explaining to you is pointless."

Why was he so damn stubborn?

"Just tell me," she walked after him. "Please, I want to help you the best I can… as your queen."

Jareth looked at her, he watched her expression steadily.

"When you're younger, your mistakes are more likely to be overlooked," he said eventually. "I'm still sixteen, and I do good work for the World Government. There is also the fact that I'm distantly related to the Celestial Dragons. In due time, I can see this place changing."

Mistakes?

Good work?

Celestial Dragons?

Can he possibly mean he'll stop after he's had his fun?

If he really were indeed related to the Celestial Dragons even the slightest bit, then that'll mean he'll get off as if nothing ever happened. Even though he's using his age as his main excuse.

"Why not change it now?" she asked. "These people _have _suffered long enough. They've understood your power already. No one will oppose you."

"It's not about that," Jareth shook his head. "Of course, the weak know who the strong ones are. It's only natural they follow obediently. It doesn't matter much anyway. I have no plans of changing anything right now, so there's no point in speaking into this matter."

"Can I say one more thing?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Fine," he sighed. "What is it?"

"They're not mistakes if you're making them intentionally, you know," she put her arm through his again. "Just thought I should make that clear for you. Not everyone thinks like you do, your highness. They might not be so compassionate."

**XoXo**

Jonah had been working his butt off the whole day. These people really knew how to stress a person out. First it was cooking, then delivering, and then serving, and it was serving Celine, no less. She looked so smug the whole time she was eating, demanding this and that from him.

Finally after hours of work, he was finally let off and just in time before midnight. He's asked directions from Jane for the basement earlier the day when he bumped into her. He's supposed to go down a spiral staircase and eventually he'll get to the basement. So far, so good. The staircase was a little darker than he liked but he managed with a lit torch.

Eventually he arrived in the basement and he walked along the corridor and at the end of the room was the Kairoseki cage.

"Uh, which one of you is Vic?"

A tall woman stepped forward. She looked him up, down and snickered.

"Get lost or something?" she smirked.

"I'm actually here for Celine," Jonah said.

"Celine?" she repeated. "Who are you?"

"I'm Jonah, Celine and I are on the same crew," he explained.

"Oh, cool," she nodded. "What's up? Did she come up with a plan yet?"

"No, but she said we need to find a way to catch him off guard," Jonah pulled the box out from his pocket. "She somehow gets the idea that he'll be able to avoid the Kairoseki easily."

"Oh, she's right," Vic mumbled. "I was thinking maybe she can stick them down his throat or something. He can choke on em' for all I care."

"Uh… right," Jonah took a small step back.

"Did she lie about her powers like I asked her to?"

"Yeah."

"I heard from the guards that the wedding is going to be in a couple of days…" Vic thought out loud. "So on the day if she can make him vulnerable with her touch for even a moment, we can use the Kairoseki to keep him down for just long enough for us to escape."

"Us? You're coming too?"

"Well, hell yeah!" Vic snorted. "I'm not staying down here, so you better find a key or something."

Jonah grimaced slightly but agreed to help anyway.

This was all for Celine.

All for the crew.

All for Captain Law.

With those thoughts on his mind, he continued to brainstorm on their ideas for the wedding day.

**XoXo**

Across the island, by the icy coast, Law gazed up at the stars on deck. It's been quite some time when he last just sat back and watched the night sky. It was very beautiful. The cold reminded him of home, it was just as if he were back in North Blue.

"_Law! I lo-."_

Celine's voice rang in his head loud and clear. Back then, he actually wanted to hear her say it and was slightly disappointed when she realized what was going on before she said it. A chance for him to hear those words from her probably won't come for a long time, something Law wasn't too pleased about.

His cheek still stung a little too. He hadn't been hit in a while and that slap woke him up pretty well.

"Captain?"

Ryuu emerged from the hatch door and sat down next to Law.

"Aren't you getting cold sitting out here by yourself?" Ryuu asked.

"I was just doing some thinking," Law said.

"Is that your way of telling me to go away?" Ryuu grinned.

"… Yes."

"But hey, this is really something, huh?" Ryuu sighed, ignoring his last comment. "Who knew we'd stumble onto such an island and have one of ours taken."

"We came to the Grand Line preparing for the worst," Law reminded him. "It's just a shame that it had to be Miss Celine that was taken."

"Yeah… and so soon after she joined the crew too," Ryuu yawned. "Say, Law?"

"Hm?"

"Just what do you think of Celine? You like her right?"

'_I can ask you the same question.'_

Law kept a calm demeanor as he turned to face Ryuu.

"I do," he replied.

"Don't play around, Law," Ryuu sighed, seeing through him completely. "You know what I mean."

"Well what about you?" he asked. "You two have been spending a lot of time together lately."

"Do I like Celine?" Ryuu said, quietly giving it some thought. "To be honest, yeah, I do. Though I don't think I like her to the extent you do. Not to mention she obviously likes you over me."

"…"

"Heh…" Ryuu chuckled. "There you go with the thinking again… You should be more straight up with your feelings, Cap."

"You're the one to speak," Law huffed. "You're probably the sneakiest fellow I know."

"Sneaky how?" Ryuu glanced over.

"Well you managed to get what you wanted just now, didn't you?" Law sighed. "Sometimes I can't tell if you're dense or just in denial over everything."

"Touché," Ryuu grinned. "I gotta get back in now, or I might freeze to death."

"I'll stay out longer."

"You know, Law, just because we're from North Blue it doesn't make us super icemen," Ryuu rolled his eyes as he stood up. "Don't catch a cold."

* * *

**A little shorter than what I was originally planning to write. I was going to add the whole wedding scene onto this chapter, but I knew I wouldn't get it up for another week or so with school starting tomorrow. So I'm just going to upload what I have so far :)**

**Sorry if the Law/Ryuu talk at the end was little OOC, I just thought guys would be more open when talking unlike girls that seem to avoid these kind of questions all together :P **

**And of course, I just wanted Law to (somewhat) admit his feelings. **

**_I just wanted to say a big thank you to all my readers_, I write these fanfics for you guys so I'm very pleased with all the feedback I've been receiving so far. Once again, any ideas you have for upcoming islands would be taken into account. I'm just coming up with things as I write so they're probably not very good :P **

**Thank you all again!**

**Also thanks to those that alerted and favorited! :)**

**Reviews:**

Demeter13909 – I didn't understand your review but it did make me laugh :P Thanks for your review anyway xD

angelrider13 – Flufffinesss :D Yeah, my sister suggested and I was like, 'heck yeah! Sounds good!' :P Thank you for the review!

xxOMGgalxx – Thank you! A little shorter this time around but I'll be working harder to get the next one up soon! :)

the everchanging – Thank you! Haha, I'm glad I wasn't that only one in pain during that bit :P

ladeste – You're very welcome! :D I just hope I can keep up the quick updates :P Thank you for the review!

Death's Eternal Rose – Yeah… he's a weird little kid… Haha, yeah! I thought Law deserved a little slap for putting Celine in tears :P Thank you for the review! :D

Guest – I don't mind the length at all :P I'm glad you liked it! :D I love discovering stories and reading it from chapter one all the way to the last update :P I'm happy I did the same for you! :) Thank you for your review! I appreciate it!

10th Squad 3rd Seat – Yeah, Jareth's just got a little mummy complex xD Thanks for your review!

Noitalapsi – I hope this chapter explained it a bit. Jareth would probably grow up into a pretty terrible ruler if he keeps things up, even if he stops the whole adult/child divide. He understands that as he gets older, things can't stay the same. But for now he can do what he wants, so he keeps it up now because he thinks he'll be able to get away with it later. Thank you for your review! :D

TwilightMelodiac – Thank you! I'll do my best for the next chapter! :)

Chuu112 – Haha yeah, but then I thought 'Law you're not getting an 'I love you' after pulling that. He doesn't deserve it :P Thank you for the review! :D

Aiko Yamazaki – Thank you! And I will fight back against your raccoon with Chopper!

**Reviews please! :D**


	8. The Runaway Bride

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Eight: The Runaway Bride**_

* * *

On the day of the wedding, all the villagers were gathered outside the castle. All anxiously waiting for the king and his queen-to-be. Everyone on the island has heard about it by then, even the Heart Pirates who were hiding out by the island's coast.

For the last few days, Celine had been trying on different wedding gowns that were all too small for her, and would only fit if she wore a bone-crushing corset. It'd been a pain getting in and out of all the different gowns, especially the layered ones with the larger skirts. The whole time this was happening, Jareth would wait in the next room, waiting to see each gown on Celine, judging if he liked it or not. After what had to be at least ten dresses later, they both agreed on a very form-fitting dress that she could barely walk in. At least it wasn't massive.

It wasn't as if she hated the process entirely. In her whole life, this would probably be the first time she felt so pampered and dolled up. She felt beautiful – even if it was for a wedding to someone she had no feelings for whatsoever. And there was the fact that the wedding won't go through as planned.

Jareth never said anymore about his parents or refer back to their talk from last time. He'd been avoiding any serious conversations with her the past days. This was something that really bothered Celine as she was still curious with his intentions and past. She'd spent one night in the late king's study going through records and notes, but nothing significant more about Jareth was discovered. But she did find out through some old diary pages that Jareth's family was indeed distantly related to the Celestial Dragons. Jareth's great grandfather was one apparently, but left Mariejois when he was old enough to think for himself.

Jareth's great grandfather stumbled onto this island, which was vacant then. He decided he'd turn the island into a kingdom, and named it 'Eleutheria' – named after the Latin word for freedom. Celine was surprised to learn that the island had an original name, she's always thought it was just Island of Red Snow.

Though she found large details of the island's founding and rich history, there was almost nothing on Jareth's parents and his generation. When she gave it more thought, Jareth probably had those records destroyed himself so no one can find out. Smart move, but Celine was looking to praise him.

Two nights before the wedding, Jonah had snuck into her bedroom and informed her of the plan. Jonah had somehow managed to knick a copy of the Kairoseki cage's key, and he will free Vic on the day and she'll help clear up a path back to the outer ring. Vic didn't say how she'd do it without being able to use her powers but she guaranteed that she'd get them out, risking her own life on the way.

The rest of the plan didn't sound too brilliant. In fact, it sounded plain stupid: Jonah had scouted the wedding hall beforehand and noticed a balcony over the aisle that would be guarded by two men on the day. But on the day, the guards will go 'missing' conveniently and Jonah would wait up there with the Kairoseki net that he made over the days.

All that sounded all right, but her part was to make sure the net works on Jareth. So she has to use her powers on him. Jonah suggested she kisses him and hold on longer than she had to. But Celine wasn't very up for that plan, at all.

He had told her to man up and take one for the team.

'_Funny, saying that to the bride.'_

Celine peeked out of her bedroom window and felt herself pale at the amount of people that were outside. Had there even been that many people on the island? She certainly doesn't remember seeing so many people before today.

Vic should be out by now. No doubt finding someway to open those large gates leading to the outer ring, and of course, there was the inner castle ring before she could even think about the other gate.

Any minute now, someone will come and get her and lead her to the wedding hall. To put it bluntly, she wasn't looking forward to it, at all. Sure, things have been planned and everything's prepared, but plans almost always go wrong. Especially when it was something to do with Celine.

Celine jumped a little when heavy knocks came from the door. She rushed over and opened the door, outside stood a maid and two guards. The maid she recognized as Jane, who she gotten rather familiar with over the last few days. She was kind and Celine learnt she had a daughter living in the middle ring.

"We're here to take you to the wedding hall, Celine-sama," she curtsied.

"Right," Celine eyed the guards behind her. "Are the guards really necessary?"

"We're just following orders, Celine-sama," one of them gave her a polite smile. "If you so much as trip, King Jareth will have our heads."

"… Okay," Celine put on a smile. "Let's go shall we?"

Jane walked half a step behind the young bride as the two guards followed them. It seemed almost ridiculous that Jareth still thought she needed guards to be escorted around. In the last few days, Celine had been on perfect behavior and played the part of the excited bride and queen-to-be. She did everything she was told exactly and said the right things to her fiancé whenever they spoke. By now, you'd think Jareth would have a little more faith in her.

"Excited?" Jane asked quietly so the guards don't hear.

"You have no idea," Celine nodded back slowly. "Was your wedding day like this?"

"More or less, yes," Jane's voice seemed distant. "But not as extravagant as your wedding, of coarse."

"Extravagant…" Celine repeated unsurely.

"And you look much more beautiful than any other bride I've seen before," she told her.

"Thank you," Celine smiled. "That's nice of you to say so."

The wedding hall wasn't far from her bedroom at all, but Celine had to take a longer route that went through the throne room, as it was tradition and good luck. There were various nobles and upper classed guests in the throne room, all waiting to see the bride. Of coarse, by nobles, they meant some little kid in a fancy suit and somehow inherited a large sum of money.

Celine had been talked through what she had to do over by the event coordinator. She was to go through the throne room, greet and smile at the 'nobles' and head to the wedding hall. No others would be in the hall apart from the minister and two guards on the balcony, but the whole ceremony would be broadcasted to the island via Den-Den Mushi. Even Dean has to watch from a screen somewhere outside the hall. Somewhat she was thankful for the broadcast, knowing that Law would know that they'll be coming, and will be prepared for them. But that'll also mean that everyone on the island will know that she revolted against their king.

Staying on the island, and meeting new people these few days have really given her a new perspective. The kids seem to love this place, but the adults all follow orders obediently without question. It's understandable knowing Jareth's power but it's strange how they all act as if they would die for their tyrant of a king. It didn't look as if they'd act against Jareth, until he was taken care of. His power was far too terrifying to these people. He could easily wipe out anyone or anything he wishes, it was far too much for a mere sixteen year old boy. It was no wonder he was driven mad with his power over the island.

The doors to the throne room came into view. The guards at the door pushed them opened giving Celine her passage through.

The room was brightly lit, and on both sides there were rows of spectators waiting for her arrival. They cheered as she walked in. Celine tried her best to smile and give smalls waves, remembering what she was asked to do. But it was all very overwhelming for her. She had never seen these kids before in her life and now here they were cheering and congratulating her.

Celine slowly made her way down the hall, taking her time while knowing full well that this would probably be the last moment she can relax before arriving at the wedding hall.

After leaving the throne room, Celine slowed her pace slightly. But no matter long she was trying to delay the wedding, they'd reach the large doors that led to the wedding hall eventually. From the outside she can hear the ceremony beginning on the inside. The minister spoke a few short words before announcing the arrival of the bride. Apparently Jareth hated waiting around during weddings and had learnt through his first two that he can ask the minister to do whatever he wanted. So from then on, he'd always skip straight to the vows, claiming it saved everyone's time.

On queue, the two guards rushed ahead to open the doors. Jane gave her a little pat on the back as Celine walked into the hall alone. The hall was decorated accordingly with an excessive amount of blooming flowers everywhere. Down the aisle Jareth stood waiting for her, a large grin present on his face. He must have been feeling rather pleased with himself because she'd never seen him smile like that before. Not even when she gave him a small kiss on the cheek two days ago.

Celine forced a quick smile as she joined Jareth in front of the minister.

"We are gathered here today, to witness the…"

The words have all been heard before. Celine stood through countless rehearsals so she knew exactly what was going to be said and how she was supposed to act. The minister's voice rang hollow in her head, his words all seemed distant and irregular to her.

"Do you, Celine, take this man as your husband?"

"I do."

Celine lifted a shaky hand towards Jareth and watched him slip on the shiny gold band around her ring finger. This was it. Jareth was still holding her bare hands, all she had to do was wait another few seconds.

"I now pronounce you man and wife."

'_Four'_

Jareth pulled her hands close to his chest and leaned into her. Celine felt a shiver run through her body as the boy's lips inched closer to hers.

'_Three'_

She snapped her eyes shut as she wished this would go away. It didn't seem her powers will make it in time, as she felt his breath on her quivering lips.

A gasp.

Instead of the kiss she was expecting, Jareth gasped.

Celine opened her eyes and watched in horror as Jareth's face paled and his veins popped.

'_What?'_

The time limit wasn't up yet. It's only been close to four seconds… Celine shook the thought away from her head. She couldn't afford to be skeptical at a time like this. If her powers have decided to take a turn for the better and let her use them earlier this time, then she'll grab that opportunity.

"Now, Jo!"

On queue, the net flew from the balcony above and landed on Jareth. Celine wrapped the net around the boy's body much to her dismay as the Kairoseki bothered her too. The whole time she was at work with the knots, Jareth glared at her, unable to speak and drastically weakened by both Celine's power and the net, all he could do was glare.

It was understandable too, first his bride betrays him and now he's being humiliated for the whole island to see.

Jonah hopped off the balcony and helped Celine finish up the knots as she took a couple of steps back, slowly recovering from the Kairoseki. She stabilized her breathing as she looked on, watching Jareth squirm under the net, keeping his eyes on her. Celine slowly pulled the ring off her finger and placed it on the ground across from him.

"Let's get outta here," Jonah walked towards her. "The Captain will be waiting for us."

"Yeah," Celine smiled softly.

**XoXo**

Outside the castle gates, the citizens were in an uproar. The king had just been taken down by his bride, and now they were no doubt going to come this way. The broadcasts had been cut off right after Jareth collapsed, so no one knew entirely what was going on, but they did know something big was going to happen. Amy stood her ground as everyone else fled.

The giant gates leading to the castle shook open slowly. To her surprise it wasn't Celine, but standing between the crack of the gates was one of the king's ex-wives. Amy couldn't remember her name well, but she definitely recognized her as the Devil Fruit user from six months ago She took a step out cautiously and took a breath, as if she was testing it out. Then she grinned and looked over her shoulder.

"Come on!" she called.

"Was it really necessary to bring down all those guards?" a very familiar voice asked.

Jonah and the runaway bride emerged behind Vic and the three made their way out the gate and down the road. The constricting dress made it difficult for Celine to move too much in, but she managed as they ran past a blonde girl that reminded her a lot of Raena.

"Who cares about those guards when I'm running around in such a dress without a coat?" Celine growled reaching for Jonah's sleeves. "Jo, give me your coat."

"How about no?" Jonah shook her off. "It's not going to take that long to get back, you can endure it."

"Uh… I'm not so sure about that," Vic said. "The first gate is cleared but any ideas about the second one?"

"I thought you said you were going to handle it," Jonah rolled his eyes.

"Well unlike some people, I have been locked in a cage for months!" Vic spat back. "I hardly remember a thing about this infernal island, and you're lucky I got us out that first gate without my powers."

"I guess that makes sense," Jonah sighed. "I suppose we can go the way I came in. It's not very nice but it's the only way."

"And what way is that?" Celine spoke up, feeling unsure about his plan. "Don't tell me it's the sewers."

"Bingo."

"No," Celine and Vic spoke in unison.

"Look kid, we may be pirates, but we're still ladies," Vic scoffed. "And look at Celine's sexy little dress, I'm sure your captain wouldn't want it drenched in shit – literally."

Jonah gave Vic a crude look then turned to Celine.

"Come on, Cel," Jonah said. "It's not like I want to either."

"Or we can just get through the gate," Celine suggested. "The gate has a pretty simple lock mechanism that I've seen how to open."

"Seriously, are the girls the only capable ones here?" Vic chuckled.

The girls exchanged grins and ran towards the last gate, leaving behind Jonah who was fuming. He'd done his part of the plan perfectly! Not only did he make the Kairoseki net perfectly but also his plan executed brilliantly! It's Vic that hasn't done her part!

Jonah ran after them and soon stood in front of the tall gate, one that was much taller than the one leading to the castle. The men guarding the gate have already been taken care of, by either Celine or Vic, he didn't know, neither did it make a difference. The outside gate was used to protect the citizens inside. It was preposterous to think that there were people living outside the gate, in the cold red snow.

Celine fiddled around with the chains and sliders, and eventually got the thing unlocked. The three all pushed the large gate until it budged. The red came into view through the crack in the gate. No matter how many times Celine has seen the red snow, it was all just too strange for her. Something like it just seemed too surreal, as if it was the work of god – then she remembers it was a little sixteen year old responsible and snapped out of the illusion.

Outside the gate stood a group of adults that have no doubt witnessed Celine's earlier act on the broadcast. No one screamed or attacked, but no one cheered either. It was awkward as they made their way through the crowd, all were avoiding Celine like she carried the plague.

Celine swallowed as she looked to the ground. She hated this feeling of everyone's eyes on her, and people moving away from her as if just being in her presence could kill them. It was a feeling that Celine had to live through while growing up, but she never expected it to happen again off the island where people hardly knew her.

"Outta the way, ya old hag."

Looking up slowly, she saw Vic standing over the old lady from before. Carmen, the one who pushed Jareth to such anger, the one that claimed she resembled the late queen. Celine had wanted to see her again after finding out the lady pretty much raised Jareth and Dean, but she just didn't expect so soon.

"Wait, Vic!"

Celine called as she ran forwards and stood in front of the lady.

"You're Celine, right?" she asked. "You're the one from Law's crew."

"I am," Celine nodded back quickly. "And you're Carmen?"

"Yes, that's right," she replied. "But you shouldn't loiter around here, your crew is waiting for you by the coast."

"But I have questions I have to ask you," Celine said. "About Jareth."

"That's not important right now," Carmen shook her head. "Right now, you need to get back to Law and plan your next move."

"But-."

"She's right, Celine," Vic placed a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go now."

"It won't take long, I just need to know why he-."

"Didn't you say you were cold earlier?" Jonah sneered.

"Oh, you're right," Celine clapped her hands together, and then ran ahead. "Talk later, Carmen!"

Vic and Jonah looked between the two then let out small chuckles as they raced after her. As they neared the coast, they recognized the large yellow submarine from a distance. To Celine, nothing has ever screamed 'home' as much as the giant metal tin.

"Took your sweet time!"

Penguin and Shachi waved from the deck.

"You could have helped!" Jonah shouted back.

Celine climbed onto the wooden deck first and greeted every member gathered which was all apart from the captain. Seeing the crew was great and all, but the only person who she's been dying to see the whole time wasn't here.

"Where's Law?"

"Down in the med-bay," Kane pointed down. "Said you guys were taking too long."

Celine huffed as she stomped towards the hatch and down the stairs. The nerve of him! After putting her through all those tears and pain, he won't even come up to greet her? Hadn't he seen the broadcast earlier? And how she was almost subjugated to kissing a sixteen year old?

"Law!" she cried.

The med-bay was the same as ever, brightly lit and beds aligned neatly. Celine stormed through the aisle, quietly thinking to herself just how much she hated aisles and she's probably have had enough aisles to last her a lifetime.

To her surprise Law wasn't at his work desk, which only meant he was in his bedroom.

"Law!" she yelled again.

Celine pulled the door open and walked straight into the man she was calling for. She gasped a little when she bumped into his chest, her small frame not even so much as moving him.

"Ow," he said flatly.

"Shut up," she slowly gripping his hoodie.

"Why the sudden intimacy, Miss Celine?" Law put an arm around her cold shoulders, pulling her close. "I thought you said you were never going to forgive me."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, does it not?" she breathed slowly.

"I suppose."

"Well it's just a bad case of that."

Law chuckled darkly as Celine pushed herself further into him, almost toppling him over.

"You know, we weren't actually away from each other that long," Law told her.

'_Five days was long enough.'_

"I'm just cold," she sniffled, feeling the exact opposite. "This dress doesn't do a very good job at keeping the wearer warm."

"I think it's charming," Law held her at arm distance. "I particularly like the way the fabric clings onto your body."

Celine whacked his arms away from her and turned away. There he goes, ruining their little reunion like that. But what more did she expect from him? For him to pull her into a tight embrace and whisper kind words to her? As if.

"I just wanted to hit you at least once after I get back," Celine said. "Now that that's done, I'll go get changed into something warmer."

"Wait."

Law walked right up behind her, her back was against him entirely. Celine didn't dare turn around and show him how red she's turned.

"H-Hm?"

"I missed you."

If her heart was thumping hard before, now it felt like it was going to fly straight out of her chest. Celine timed her breaths slowly, trying to keep a calm composure, but she found it difficult with the tight dress wrapped around her breasts and his hot breath above her head.

"Yeah… me too."

"Good."

She could practically hear him smiling as he pulled away from her. Celine felt the heat lifted off considerably when he backed away. She quickly rushed out of the med-bay, before anything else happens. Celine struggled up the stairs but soon made it to her bedroom.

At once, she tore the tight fabric off her body. Tossing the gown to a side as she searched through her drawers. Eventually she found a pair of long trousers and a top, but all her sweaters she took away with her to Jareth's castle and hadn't had a chance to get back. Looks like it's back to wearing sheets.

Celine found many of the crew sat around on the first level, everyone excluding Penguin, Kane and Shachi.

"What's with that get-up?" Ryuu laughed.

"All my sweaters have magically disappeared," she said.

"Don't you just mean you left them back at the castle?" Jonah smirked.

"Oi, since when did you get such a smart mouth?" Celine snapped, sitting down next to only free seat that was next to Law's. "Anyway, Law, this is Vic. She helped with the escape."

"Yes, we've met already," Law nodded.

"Where's everyone else?"

"Shachi, Penguin and Kane are upstairs on the look out for Jareth," Ryuu told her.

"That's an odd group up," Celine said. "Why is Kane up there?"

"So they might actually have a chance when the brat attacks," Ryuu laughed.

"Are we not leaving soon?" she asked, looking between the faces in the room. "I mean, before he gets here?"

"No," Law said. "I'll fight him."

"But why?" Celine turned to face him. "We can just leave now and forget this ever-."

"Miss Celine, no one kidnaps my crewmember and gets let off with nothing," Law didn't let her finish. "This is the captain's burden and pride."

"Ahaha…" Vic stood up with an short chortle. "I think I might just go now… I'll help with the look out."

"I second that," Jonah headed after her.

The two clamored up the staircase. Ryuu said nothing but headed after the two after looking between Celine and Law. It wasn't as if Celine meant to make it awkward for everyone else in the room, but Law had no business picking a fight with someone as powerful as Jareth. His powers won't work with Jareth, all he'll be cutting is snow.

"Don't do it please," she told him. "The boy is mad with power, and he controls the whole island. What are your chances against him?"

"I assure you that I have given this matter some thought," he said. "I am not running into a fight blindly – I've got tricks hidden up my sleeve."

"Oh yeah?" she barbed. "It better be one hell of a trick."

"You wouldn't know…"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll be staying down here," he said as he stood.

"What? Where are you going?" Celine called after him.

"He's coming," he murmured. "You stay here."

"But Law, you shouldn't have to go fight for someone like me," she held his arm. "We've still got time to-."

"Celine. Please, just me do this," he gave her a small smile. "Would it help if I said that I'm not doing this for you entirely? … These people on the island, I've seen how unfairly they're treated, if I don't stop it, then who will?"

Law doing something for more than personal gain? That idea seemed a little too far-stretched for Celine, perhaps the village people had bribed him, or there must be some kind of reward in it for him. All jokes aside, Celine remembered seeing the adults on the island. In the castle too, there were people her aged that acted as if she was almighty compared to them.

"You know what?" she acquiesced with a sigh. "Fine. Go for it then, but if you get your ass handed it to you, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Reassuring as always, Miss Celine," he grinned, heading up the stairs.

Celine watched him go dismally, hoping this won't be the last time she'll see him in one piece.

"Hey! Be careful!" she called out without realizing it.

"Will do."

Now all she could do was hope for the best for her captain and believe in him.

Minutes later, Vic came back down with Shachi and Penguin. They plopped themselves next to Celine. It was obvious they were told to not tell her anything, but by their expression Celine could tell that it didn't look good out there.

"Is he here yet?" she asked.

"No, not yet," Penguin shook his head.

"A large snowstorm's brewing though," Vic told her. "Let's hope your captain wasn't bluffing about beating up Jareth, or we'll all go down."

"Doubting us after coming all the way here?" Celine jibed.

"If worst comes to worst, we'll just trade Celine in for our lives," Shachi laughed.

"Ha, that's not funny," Celine kicked him.

A small wave shook the submarine. They looked between each other, all knowing that he must have arrived. The ceiling began to shake, indicating the fight has started. Celine hated that she had to sit down here and wait, but she also knew full well that she wouldn't do any good up there either.

Suddenly the hatch door slammed open and someone trudged down the stairs. Was it over already? Did Jareth win already?

Shachi and Penguin stood up defensively and stood in front of the stairwell. Jonah soon emerged from the staircase, with Kane on his back. The boy did his best carrying the older man's larger build, and tried to keep his feet from dangling off onto the ground.

"Oh god," Penguin helped shift Kane onto his shoulder. "Even Kane got beat up?"

"You idiot, who got beat?" Kane voiced. "My arms and legs are frozen that's all."

"Yeah, whatever you say, you still need medical attention," Shachi murmured, pulling Kane's other arm onto his shoulder. "Should we go help upstairs?"

"No," Kane shook his head. "Law and Ryuu's got it."

"Let's get you down to the med-bay. I'll go get some hot water running now," Jonah rushed ahead. "And don't let Celine go anywhere, Vic!"

The three left the room, leaving behind the girls. Celine stood up right after they were out of view and walked to the staircase leading to the deck, but Vic got in her way before she could take a step.

"Nuh-uh," Vic wagged her finger. "You heard mister good-looking just now. They don't need your help."

"Step aside," Celine hissed. "You're an outsider, you're not on this crew, you don't understand what these people mean to me."

"I do, really, trust me," Vic crossed her arms. "And plus, you remind me of my brothers. Don't want to see you get hurt."

"Brothers?" she frowned. "What parts of me remind you of your brothers?"

"Everything," she shrugged. "In any case, just sit your butt back down and wait."

Another thunderous boom rocked the submarine. Celine gave Vic a cold look and returned back to the seats. Vic didn't move and stood against the stairwell.

"So what's up with you and your captain?" Vic asked after a moment of listening to the fight rage on upstairs.

"What about us?"

"Well he's really handsome," Vic said.

"And?"

"You're a pretty little girl."

"And?"

"He seems to like you quite a bit."

"The only thing he likes is teasing me," Celine scoffed.

"So you're not interested in him?" her eyes gleamed under the light.

"I'm not."

"You're lying," Vic laughed.

"I am not!" Celine stood up furiously.

"Okay fine, then who do you fancy? The cutie up with him now?"

"No!" Celine gasped. "Just shut up, alright?"

Vic laughed again as she watched Celine slump back down. Celine really was just a naïve girl, completely in denial of her feelings. Though not entirely sure of the situation, Vic could feel the fight heading to a wrong turn.

"I'm gonna take a look real quick," Vic headed upstairs.

"Can I come?"

"You stay where you are."

She heard the younger girl grumble as she walked up the steps. The hatch door was shut tightly, and Vic had trouble pushing it open as the outside was almost completely frozen. She only managed a small crack and look between the gap.

Law and Ryuu were keeping up with Jareth, but unable to attack at all. Jareth's movements were far slowler than the two pirates, and his snow-based attacks were incomparable to Law and Ryuu's speed and skill. If Jareth weren't a Logia fruit user, then the flow of the fight would be completely on the pirate's.

Vic felt a soft bundle of warmth underneath her and looked down. Celine was huddled under her, peeking through the gap, with her blanket wrapped over her head.

"Get back inside now," Vic hissed.

"No," she simply said and carried on watching.

In a matter of minutes, Jareth called up a large blizzard. Snow and hail rained from above, nicking Law and Ryuu every passing second. The storm slowed down the two significantly, blocking both their vision and movements. Jareth soon vanished into the storm as well, but his laughs echoed through the air.

"Room."

Law created a large dome surrounding the deck, and pulled his sword out of its sheathe. As soon as Jareth materializes above them, Law would slash the air once, causing the boy's tangible body to deform again into the storm. They did that over and over, Jareth would try to attack but Law would slash him before he gets the chance. It seemed like an endless cycle.

Celine watched on, incredibly bothered by Jareth's ability. She looked up at Vic who looked equally annoyed. At that point she noticed Vic's bracelet – the Kairoseki, more specifically.

"Vic!" Celine called, pulling away from the door. "Your hand! We've got to cut it off!"

"What the hell," Vic held her wrist defensively. "Like hell I'm going to cut it off! You've gone crazy from the cold."

"No, really!" Celine gribbed Vic's wrist and pulled her back. "Once the door's open, run into Law's magic circle. Tell him your bracelet is Kairoseki, then we'll have a chance in beating him and you can get it off. Win-win."

"But-."

Celine knocked the door clean open with a swift kick. The ice broke apart with a loud chime, and Celine shoved Vic through the door. She closed the door back to a reasonable crack and watched.

Vic ran up to Law and began shouting hysterically, Law looked at her like she was mad until she pointed at the band around her wrist. Then Law's eyes lit up and he chopped his Nodachi through her wrist. Ryuu walked over and picked the bracelet off Vic's dismembered hand.

It still appalled Celine, how easily this crew can act around body parts and blood. It definitely wasn't normal how little they cared for others – at least, they fought for their nakama. Law and Ryuu exchanged a few quiet words as Vic rushed back through the door.

"Look at this!" Vic cried, waving her dismembered hand around. "He said he'd put it back on later! It shouldn't be that difficult to do it now!"

"Did he say what he was going to do with the bracelet?" Celine turned away from the hand, feeling slightly sick.

"No, but I did see him cutting the stone off the band," Vic frowned. "And he said to thank you."

Celine smiled a little as she continued watching. Those two were definitely up to something, and it didn't look like it'll be too good for Jareth either. Ryuu stepped back until he was completely out of view from Celine's perspective. Law then waved his hands, causing the storm to rage faster inside his dome. The hail and snow were striking him as well, but he seemed to pay no mind as the snow continued to swirl around him.

Finally after a long minute, Law dropped his hands, thus the dome disappeared. The snow immediately stopped and began to fall naturally. The piled up snow on the ground soon began to rise into Jareth's body. Law took the opportunity to rush ahead and then sent a large kick towards Jareth's manifesting head.

To everyone's surprise, the kick landed and the boy flew off to a side.

"Do it now, Ryuu."

Ryuu rushed back into view, and slammed his palm into Jareth's chest.

Celine hadn't known what they've done but Jareth's solid body was now quivering in pain. The two men stood over the boy, and Law patted Ryuu on the back. That's when Celine noticed a small pool of blood staining Jareth's white shirt, the blood coming from the exact spot Ryuu had hit. The stain wasn't big, in fact it was rather small but it seemed that hit was what stopped him – the piece of Kairoseki.

Jareth whined and huffed while trying to pull himself off the ground, but his efforts were to no avail as he stayed pinned down. The snow had stopped falling and the clouds were clearing away slowly. The sun crept through the cracks between the clouds. This immensely bothered Jareth as he shook and winced from the harsh light.

"Hurts a bit more when it's inside you, right?" Law spoke.

"You bastards," Jareth growled. "That's dirty."

"Hey, you're the one that went messing with pirates," Ryuu shrugged.

"Exactly."

A large grin grew onto Law's features as he lifted his Nodachi up high.

The large blade gleamed under the bright sunlight. Celine held her breath as she watched the scene unfold. He couldn't possibly plan on killing him right? Sure, he's caused a hell of a trouble for them and was a cruel tyrant, but he was just a boy. Just a spoilt child with a large adult complex…

"Law!"

Vic tried to stop her, but Celine pulled through and ran onto the deck.

"Oh, did you want the honors, Miss Celine?" Law held his sword back down.

"No," Celine said, walking to Jareth. "We can't kill him."

"And why not?"

"He can change his ways, I know it," Celine slowly bent down to cradle the boy's head.

"You don't know that," Law frowned.

"And neither do you!" Celine raised her voice. "We can't take away his life, we hardly know a thing about him."

"So what do you propose?" Law asked, his voice incredibly mocking and disapproving.

"…"

"We get Carmen," Ryuu spoke up. "She'll talk to him and make the decision for us."

"Ryuu, you and Celine go get Carmen here," Law picked the boy up by his collar, pulling his head off Celine's lap. "I'll get the little king tied up downstairs."

Law walked through the hatch and the body disappeared last into the darkness. It looked as if he had just killed someone and was dragging the evidence away. Celine hoped Law wouldn't actually snap at the boy and slash his throat then have to stash his body somewhere later.

"We should probably go get the old lady," Ryuu scratched the back of his head.

"You read my mind."

* * *

**My god… that was such a pain to write :P**

**I had no idea what to do with the fight and I didn't want to make it too easy for them… I hope that was all right! I wrote most of it in one go, so forgive the typos and small mistakes.**

**And oh noesss, what's gonna happen to Jareth? Will Law actually kill him? :O – haven't even decided yet :P**

**As usual, thank you to all my readers, and the people who alerted and favorited this story! :D**

**Reviews:**

Noitalapsi – Awesome! Not a problem at all, just glad I can clear things up :D No. nooooo. I 100% trust my reader's word [insert little thumbs up]

Aiko Yamazaki – YOU! YOU BETTER REPLY MY PM NOW. I fight back with Eyelashes the Camel! :D

ladeste – Thank you! Yeah… Jonah always gets bullied by the crew, maybe I'll cut him some slack :P

xxOMGgalxx – dudududddaaaahhh! Iceman Law! Vigilante fighter from the harsh seas of NORTH BLUE. Law is joined by his trusty sidekick, BEPO THE TALKING POLAR BEAR! Together they fight crime across the Grand Line against the forces of EVIL! (that last bit was so powerpuff girls, but meh)

the everchanging – Haha, well here it is (probably not as amazing as you thought it'd be :P). Yeah! Happy you liked it!

Demeter13909 – Ohhhh! Awesome! Maybe it should be this story's anthem or something xD

Shima Namida – IT IS TOTALLY OKAY! PLEASE THERE IS NO NEED TO FEEL APOLOGETIC! :D Yeah… I'm trying to get these chapters at least over 6K words and so I'm just stuffing in all my ideas :P I'm glad you liked it! :D I hope you liked this teensy reunion they had (I know it's a bit short), BUT FEAR NOT. I got something pretty big planned for them after this whole Jareth business so keep reading! :D

10th Squad 3rd Seat – Awesome! The last thing I'd want is to write OOC characters :P

khr216 – Hope I didn't make you wait too long :P

fritillary252 – OMg, Hina? Really? xD I suppose… Long lost sister, maybe? jks :P Man, I don't even remember if I added a character description on this story… but Celine's got blue eyes and dark (by dark I mean black) hair. Ohhh, I almost forgot about that dimmed lights thing (my bad…) – I think you'll find out next chapter :P That's what I was going for! My sister was punching me the whole time, saying 'WHY WOULD YOU WRITE THAT? YOU SUCK!' :P My god! Seriously? That means a hell lot to me! I realllllyy appreciate it! :D


	9. Red Snow's Resolve

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Nine: Red Snow's Resolve**_

* * *

Ryuu offered her a hand and she held on tightly as he pulled her up from the ground. The two hopped off the deck and began walking towards the settlements. It wasn't a long walk at all, but it felt like ages as they trudged through the stiff snow.

"So, that was a pretty good hit earlier," Celine said. "What was that? Tiger claw or something?"

"Eh, something like that," Ryuu smiled. "Why? Do you want to learn?"

"I doubt you'd teach me," she chuckled flatly.

"There's no point anyway," Ryuu agreed. "You've got jelly arms."

"Stop with the names already," she rolled her eyes. "And I'll have you know I've improved a lot from your stupid weight-lifting exercises."

"Ha, if you say so."

The settlements were pretty torn up, bits and pieces from the buildings were scattered all over. It didn't look like Jareth had spared anyone else from his wrath with that large blizzard earlier. Even now, there were only a fraction of the villagers wandering around, trying to fix structures back up.

"Hey, where's the old lady, Carmen?" Ryuu asked a man stood by a hut.

"If I remember right, I think I saw them carry her into the barn."

"Carry? Did something happen to her?" Celine took a step forward.

The man recognized her as Jareth's runaway bride almost immediately and looked down uncomfortably. It wasn't as if it was her intention to bother him, but how else can they find out?

"Carmen was outside during the storm," he replied.

"And?"

It was a foolish to ask. Celine knew that, and the man knew that. He looked down and shifted uneasily, unsure of what to say to her.

"You know, why don't we go have a look for ourselves," Ryuu placed a hand around Celine and directed her away from him. "Thanks for your help."

"What do we do if she's… you know," she whispered.

"We don't know anything yet," he told her. "For all we know, she could just have tripped over or something."

"Tripped over or something," Celine stared at him. "Sure, that sounds about right."

"You know what I mean, Celine," Ryuu sighed. "For now, lets just hope for the best."

Ryuu led her to the barn, having been inside before. He pried the heavy doors open and let Celine in first. The barn was full of injured people, all lying in makeshift hay cots. It wasn't a pretty sight, but they came in expecting the worst.

"Hey, is Carmen around?" Ryuu stopped a lady.

"She's around the corner there," she pointed forward. "But she's not doing so well… she shouldn't have been out in that storm, not at her age."

"Why was she out at that time?" Celine asked. "Why didn't you stop her?"

"She insisted on going to see Jareth," the lady frowned, slowly shaking her head. "We tried, we really did, but she didn't listen."

Celine bit back a comment and strode past her, and forward towards where she pointed. At the end of the room, Carmen laid on her cot, looking very ill and pale. She took a step forward to the cot and bent down on her knees.

"Carmen?"

"… Celine?"

"Yes, it's me."

Carmen forced her eyes open wearily and turned around to face her.

"You've stopped him."

"We did."

"Did you kill him?"

"No."

"Good," she sighed. "You've got to speak to him, tell him he's wrong and he needs to change."

"I can't," Celine slowly shook her head. "You should, he'll listen to you."

"Celine, my dear, you look like his mother," Carmen coughed. "It may not seem like it now, but he adored his mother. That was probably why he liked you so much."

"I look like her, but I am not her," Celine insisted. "Please, he probably hates me now. He won't listen to a word I have to say."

"A dying woman's wish," Carmen eyed her beadily. "Give it a shot, please?"

"Dying?" Celine stood back up quickly. "You're not serious, are you? You'll be okay right?"

"I'm afraid not."

Celine stumbled back and her back hit into Ryuu.

"W-what do I do?" she whispered.

"You go speak to Jareth, I'll stay with Carmen," Ryuu patted her shoulder.

"But-."

"Just go, Celine," Ryuu said. "If we leave Law alone with Jareth any longer, he might decide to kill him. He's a pretty sadistic guy, you know?"

"Alright, I'll go," Celine nodded. "Hang in there, Carmen."

Ryuu watched Celine go quietly and as soon as she was out of earshot, he turned to the old woman in bed.

"You're not actually dying are you?" Ryuu cracked a smile.

"How can you tell?" Carmen opened an eye.

"Eh," he shrugged. "You kind of remind me of my grandma, she liked to play dead too so we'd take pity on her."

"Well, lucky that Celine's not as sharp as you," Carmen smiled.

**XoXo**

Jareth shivered as he watched Law toss his scalpel in the air for the fourth time, and like all the other times, he caught its grip with ease. The captain had dragged him down three flights of stairs and has tossed him on the patient bed in his office, the bed was comfortable but he felt uneasy watching the captain glare at him.

"What exactly are you planning to do with me?" Jareth eventually asked.

"Please refrain from talking," Law drawled. " I am already having a difficult time keeping you in one piece."

"I am a king, you will tell me!"

Jareth really wished he hadn't yelled, because as soon as he said another word, Law shot him a deadly glance and grasped onto the small blade. The stainless steel gleamed under the harsh lighting, something Jareth couldn't bring himself to look away from.

"… Why am I alive?" he gulped.

"Miss Celine," Law sighed.

"What about her?"

"Misguided as she is, she believes you deserve a second chance."

"Really…"

"Yes, really," Law rolled his eyes, growing impatient with the boy. "And if I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut before the man with the shiny tools decide he has had a change of heart."

Quietly calculating the odds of Law brutally murdering him, Jareth soon came to the conclusion that he won't lay a finger on him before Celine gets back. So for now, he should be safe to speak.

"Am I going to die with this Kairoseki inside of me?"

"… No."

"How can you be sure?"

"I am a doctor," Law's patience began wearing thin.

"You're in love with Celine, aren't you?"

"Excuse me?"

"You love her, which is why you fought me."

"As I told you before, I fought you because you are an imprudent maniac of a child that needed to be brought down."

"That's just your cover up," Jareth scoffed.

"Look kid," Law stood from his chair. "I've been relatively pleasant up until now, if you speak anymore I'll cut something off."

"Lets see you try."

"Right, stick your tongue out."

"What?"

"Stick your tongue out."

"You're insane, back off."

As soon as Jareth's mouth opened to speak, Law took a grab for his tongue. With his surgical gloves on, Law found it a lot easier to keep from slipping.

"Alright…"

Law yanked the appendage as far as it'll go, and placed the blade to the left side, and then to without a word, he pulled it away moved it to the right side. While contemplating on which side he should begin cutting from, he was oblivious to Celine who had just charged into the room. Celine took one look at the whimpering boy and frowned.

"Hands off him, Law."

"Oh, Miss Celine," he slowly dropped his hand. "You're back."

"Were you going to cut his tongue off?"

"Maybe," Law released the boy's tongue. "He was bothering me."

"Yeah? Well he's no good to me if he can't talk," Celine sighed. "I'm hoping you haven't done any internal damage while I was away?"

"I was too worried over what you'd do to me if I had," Law said.

"You should be," she nodded. "Can I speak to you? In private?"

"Of course."

Celine headed back out into the main wing with her arms crossed, while Jareth sent him a cheeky look.

"You shouldn't threaten other people's prisoners, you know?"

"So now he's _your _prisoner?" Law lifted an eyebrow.

"Well, considering you wanted to kill him an hour ago," Celine said. "Yeah, I think we'll keep him as my prisoner."

"An hour ago, she says – I still want to kill the little bastard," Law sighed. "Where is Carmen anyway?"

"Uh yeah, about that," Celine looked down to her feet. "She was in that storm, and she's not doing so well at the moment. She told me to speak to Jareth in her stead."

Law clicked his mouth shut. Celine wasn't sure if he was mad or just thinking.

"And do you think he'll listen?"

"Well… I don't know… but I'm still going to try," Celine shrugged.

"I really hope whatever you have in mind works," Law said. "Because if it doesn't, then we'll have to resolve to killing him."

"Yes, I understand."

Celine desperately wanted to say something that would ease the tension, but what could she say at a time like this? Law was giving her a half-expecting look when she didn't say anything further.

"I'm leaving it to you then."

Giving her a small pat on the back, Law walked past her and headed upstairs. It wasn't very reassuring, but she took that as a 'good luck'. Celine took a deep breath and headed back to the office.

"Hey."

"Oh, it's you," Jareth muttered.

"You should be more thankful to the person that saved your tongue," Celine crossed her arms.

"That certain someone also so happens to have embarrassed me to everyone on the island, and because of that person I can now barely move and am tied up."

"Look Jareth, I don't want to argue," Celine pulled Law's chair out and sat in front of him. "I just want to talk."

"I have no interest in talking with you," Jareth looked away. "I'd much prefer to speak with that sadistic doctor."

"Okay, now that I know is a lie," Celine sighed. "It's obvious you two despise each other."

"And it's obvious you two want to tear each other's clothes off and make mad love."

'_He's just a bratty kid… He's just a bratty kid… We don't want to kill him…'_

"That was uncalled for and untrue," Celine looked down immediately, afraid if her cheeks have been stained red. "Just listen for a moment, remember when I asked you about your plans for the future?"

"You mean when you tricked me into telling you by saying you'd rule by my side?" Jareth said. "Yes, I remember that."

"I had to know, alright?" she clasped her hands together. "It's not as if I wanted to hurt you, but you gave me no choice. You can't force someone into doing something they don't want to. That goes for both marriages and the way you run your island."

"You've failed once and you'll fail again," Jareth scoffed. "I have no intention of changing the way I rule. You might as well kill me now."

"No!" Celine stood up. "Stop being a child! If you want to be seen as a king so much then start acting like an adult! What you're doing is irresponsible and childish! All you ever do is hide behind that pathetic excuse of yours. It's not going to work, kid. Do you think the World Government will really stand for that after they find out what you've done?"

"… The World Government can't touch me, I'm a Celestial Dragon-."

"No. Your great grandfather was one, but not you," Celine snapped. "You're nothing more than a pawn to them. Stop before it's too late, this coming not only from me but from Carmen too – she is lying in bed breathing her last breaths because of your insolence."

"… Carmen is dying?" his demeanor changed. "Because of me?"

"She was caught up in that snowstorm earlier," Celine nodded. "The villagers said she just wanted to stop you."

"To stop me…"

"We all just want what's best for you and your people," Celine slowly sat back down. "These people deserve to be happy."

"Heh…" Jareth snickered. "… That's what my mother used to say."

Celine sat back and waited as Jareth kept quiet, obviously giving everything she's said some thought. How she wished she had the ability to read minds. Just waiting for his response was nerve-racking. Had it worked? Has he changed his mind?

"Untie me."

"What?" Celine said. "I won't do that just because you asked me to, you haven't even-."

"I need to go see Carmen."

"… I don't think I can do that. Whatever you have to say, you'll just have to-."

"Please, if you're not going to let me go there myself, at least take me there. I need to speak with her."

"… Let me go get someone."

**XoXo**

"Are sure this is wise?" Law asked.

"Who are we to stop them from meeting?" Celine shrugged.

They walked through the flat snow, following behind Kane who carried Jareth over his shoulder. They were walking through the settlements towards the barn, and villagers avoided them like the plague. The looks they gave Jareth were priceless, Celine would have laughed if it weren't for the seriousness of the situation.

They found Ryuu standing by Carmen's bed, in the exact place where Celine left him. He didn't bat an eye when he saw his brother carrying in Jareth, he just calmly greeted them like usual.

"Why's he here?" Ryuu watched Kane place the boy down on a pile of hay next to Carmen's cot. "Don't tell me you all fell for his boy-scout act."

"No one's fallen for anything," Celine walked next to Jareth. "He just wanted to see Carmen."

"Oh, uh… well," Ryuu scratched the back of his head. "Okay, I'll go wait outside. Why don't we give them some privacy, Cap, Kane?"

Ryuu pushed Law towards the door and shot his brother a look telling him to follow. Kane looked to Carmen then back to Ryuu, unsure of what's really going on, he decided to leave with his brother.

Although she wasn't sure entirely, Celine knew something was going on.

"Carmen?" she said quietly. "It's Celine, I'm here with Jareth."

"Jareth?" the bed-bound woman opened her eyes. "Have you changed your mind? Have you finally come to your senses?"

"Yes, I have and I'm sorry for what I've done to you," he replied. "For everything I've done."

Celine wished she had left when Ryuu brought everyone else out, watching all this made her feel incredibly uneasy.

"Good," Carmen smiled.

That look Carmen gave was like the look people would make when Celine touched them longer than five seconds, except this lady was at peace. Death has been a recurring thought of Celine's. It pained her to have this much power over life and death, but having no control over Carmen's life.

Jareth took a deep breath when Carmen's eyes fluttered shut.

"Untie me, Celine."

"I already said-."

"I'm going to leave the island," he sighed. "When these people find out I'm no longer ruling, the news will get out. Then the World Government will be after me like any other criminal."

"So you're just leaving your brother here?" she asked, tugging on his ropes.

"… Well, I can't take him with me," Jareth shook his head. "He'll rule in my place."

"He's seven," Celine contravened.

Jareth stretched his hands over his head, and rolled his head back feeling a satisfying crack in his neck. It seems his body has more or less gotten used to the Kairoseki now, he just wasn't able to use his Devil Fruit powers. He then looked up at Celine who was still waiting for his reply.

"Six actually," he corrected.

"My point exactly."

"I'll look after him."

They froze simultaneously then turned back to the cot where Carmen laid. She had her eyes wide opened and a small smile.

"Excuse me?" Jareth's eyes grew sharp. "Weren't you dead a moment ago?"

"Have you changed your mind?" Carmen too grew defensive.

"Well, no… I'm still leaving."

"Then no, I'm alive and well," Carmen sat up.

For a moment there, Celine thought Jareth was going to snap, but he just stared and smiled eventually. Celine wasn't entirely sure what had happened and why the supposedly dead woman was still alive, but if things worked out then she's not about to object.

"Hey Jareth, once you're done with your business on the island, come over to see Law. I'll talk him into getting that Kairoseki removed for you," Celine said as she headed for the door.

The boy gave her a small nod as Celine left the barn. Outside, her crew waited for her.

"Lets go back," Celine sighed.

"We're leaving him behind?" Kane asked.

"Yeah, he's going to come by the ship later to get that Kairoseki out," Celine nodded. "And then he's going to leave the island."

"Just like that?" he sounded uncertain.

"Just like that," Celine reassured.

"And I take it, Cap's gonna have to pull that stone out of him?" Ryuu glanced at Law.

"If you'll be so kind," Celine turned to her captain. "Please?"

"I help him one time and I'll never have to see him again?" Law huffed.

"Yes, of course," Celine nodded with a smile. "After this, we can leave the island when our pose sets."

"Alright."

Law may have agreed to help, but that doesn't mean he'll make it as painless as Jareth would have liked.

**XoXo**

"Ow!"

Jareth gagged as the doctor stuck a pair of tweezers into the freshly cut open flesh. Law was having fun with this, that he can tell easily.

"Stop your whining," Law grumbled. "I'm trying to work here."

"Trying to torture me, more like," Jareth frowned. "Can I have someone else do this for me?"

"Hey kid," Ryuu called from across the dining hall. "Why don't you keep it down? Some of us are trying to eat, yeah?"

The crew was forced to watch their captain do the dirty work while eating their lunch. This was all because Jareth refused to be alone in a room with Law. Which Celine thought was completely understandable.

Law hummed contently as he proceeded with the extraction of the Kairoseki. Celine walked up behind him and watched on quietly.

"Does it hurt that much?" Celine asked when the boy flinched again.

"Yeah."

"Well, Law's the best we have, it'd probably hurt more if we had someone else do it," she explained.

'_Not entirely true,' _Law thought as he twisted the metal tweezers in his fingers.

"Ow! Ow!" Jareth's voice rang. "Okay, now that was on purpose!"

"That's ridiculous," Law finally pulled the stone out.

"Ow!"

"I'm just doing you a favor."

Law dropped the small stone onto a metal tin tray and pulled out a roll of bandages.

"Even with your Logia fruit, your wound will take a while to heal because of the Kairoseki," Law said as he passed the roll to Celine. "Give it a few days to a week. Patch him up, Miss Celine."

"Thanks Law, I'll bring your things down later," she called after her captain who gave her a light wave of a hand before vanishing out the door. "You know, the least you could have done is thank him."

"For what? Removing the Kairoseki that he placed in me to begin with?" Jareth scoffed as she fixed the wound's dressing. "I don't think so."

"You boys are so stubborn," she shook her head. "Hold this down while I tie the bandages around."

Jareth stomped a hand over the gauze without a word and turned to look away from her. Celine sighed as she began to wrap the bandage around the boy's torso. She wasn't very good at it, but he didn't seem to notice. The cloth unfurled further and further until it was all used up.

"See that wasn't so hard," she fastened the cloth. "… Does this mean you're leaving now?"

"Yes, I've already said my goodbyes," he nodded slowly.

"Do you know where you'll go?"

"I'm thinking I might head to Mariejois," he wondered out loud.

"And why in the world would you want to do that?" she almost choked.

"I want to meet my family," he shrugged. "Why? Are you worried about me?"

"Well, anyone would be worried for you," she packed Law's equipment up. "As you said earlier, you're going to be wanted after the news gets out. And Mariejois is pretty much the marine's headquarters."

"I may not be a full Celestial Dragon, but I am still one," he stood up. "If I manage to meet up with my family then all my charges could be revoked."

"That's if you even get that far," Celine shook her head. "It'll be dangerous, you should just leave the Grand Line."

"Someone with my bounty living outside the Grand Line?" Jareth mocked her. "That's unheard of."

"Well if you're so keen on getting yourself killed," she shrugged. "It's your life."

"… Yes, I should go."

Jareth stood up and walked towards the door. He stopped by the frame momentarily and turned to face her.

"Celine, sorry for before," he said quietly. "And thank you."

"Um- you're welcome… good luck to you."

He gave a small smile and left the room just like that.

Celine stared after his shadow, a little unsure over if she should see him off or not. After all, he is a changed person – more or less. At least he understands what he's done was wrong and has elected to leave himself. Maybe she should go and properly say goodbye…

"Hasta la vista, you little brat! No one's gonna miss you!"

Shachi's voice echoed down the hall.

The crew broke out into laughter behind her.

Celine looked back at the boys, and they immediately shut their mouths. Shachi looked as if he were ready to die there and then, but instead of the scolding they were expecting, Celine smiled instead.

"You're right," she agreed with a nod. "No one's going to miss him."

Hurriedly packing everything up, Celine pulled Law's bag off the table and headed down to the med-bay to return it. From the dining hall, she could hear the boys taking big sighs of relief and continued with their eating and drinking.

Feeling overly uncomfortable with everyone's sudden change in demeanor she quickened her pace down the hall.

When Celine reached the med-bay she saw that Vic was inside speaking with Law.

"Oh hey, Celine!" Vic jerked her hand around strangely in what's supposed to be a wave.

Celine looked between the two suspiciously but said nothing of it. She walked up to one of the beds on the side and placed the bag down.

"Jareth's gone, so I'm just going to leave this here," Celine mumbled. "Sorry for disturbing you…"

"Rubbish!" Vic called, tugging her back. "I was just about to head upstairs. You stay!"

Vic rushed out of the room leaving a very disoriented Celine wobbling over to Law.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"She's asked to be dropped off on the next island," Law said.

"So soon?" Celine rested herself onto one of the beds. "I was hoping she'd join us."

"After all this, she's going to give up on being a pirate," Law told her.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense considering her crew abandoned her and all," Celine sighed. "Did you talk about anything else?"

"… She asked about us."

"Of course, she did," Celine looked down to her feet. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her I wasn't certain, "Law replied. "… Is it true that you're not interested in me?"

"Oh, she told you that did she?" Celine pushed herself off the bed.

"Well I was the one that asked her," Law said.

"Why would you care if I was interested or not?"

Law looked trapped. As if he was fighting within himself about what to say.

"… Well I care because I-."

"Captain!'

Bepo emerged from the stairwell and ran in between the two.

"Yes? What is it?" Law asked, regaining his composure.

"There are some people outside who are looking for you… and Celine."

"What now?" Celine groaned.

"I-I'm sorry!" Bepo's ears drooped like the always do.

"We should go see what they want then," Law sighed.

He grabbed his Nodachi and led Celine to the stairs.

"What do you think they want with us?" Celine whispered.

"Nothing," he said. "They probably just want to thank us."

"You know Law," she grinned. "For a pirate, you do a lot of good deeds."

"They're all coincidental," he told her. "The things I do are for my own reputation and personal gain, sometimes they just happen to be good deeds."

"You're surprisingly humble," she smiled.

Law said nothing as they have reached the deck. They walked to the side of the submarine and saw dozens of people gathered on the coast. At the front, Carmen stood with little Dean in a toll.

Gratitude was expected but Celine didn't expect so many people to show up. She walked to the edge of the deck and leaned forward of the railings.

"We would like to thank you, Celine and Law," Carmen said, tugging onto Dean's arm.

"Yeah," Dean nodded curtly.

* * *

After all thanks were said, the villagers went their way. Many took this chance to leave the island, two large cruise ships were sent out almost immediately after. More than half of the island's population left, leaving behind just the people that lived on the island originally.

Vic had decided to stay with the Heart Pirates because she was told the next island had a large port that had ships that travelled to just about anywhere.

With everyone rushing off the island, only about thirty families remained and those families were all invited to the castle for a feast. Out of those thirty only four showed up and one of them was Amy with her parents. An invitation was extended to the Heart Pirates as well.

Dean sat in his brother's previous throne-like seat up at the front of the room. He didn't seem to mind at all that his brother was gone and enjoyed taking his brother's place.

The meal was incredibly awkward as no one spoke, apart from Dean and his mindless chattering.

"Trafaglar, you're Celine's captain right?"

Shachi and Penguin broke out into a hysterical laughing fit.

"Trafalgar," Celine coughed.

"What's what I said," Dean frowned. "Right, Trafalgar?"

"Yes."

Law looked as if he wanted to stand up and leave the room all together, but he remained sat down and kept his calm demeanor. The crew were all having a good time – Shachi and Penguin stuffed their faces imprudently while Kane and Vic seemed to have vanished off somewhere.

The new little king sat next to Law and was pestering him over and over again about pirating – much like what he had done when he first met Celine. Law always seemed to find himself stuck in unfortunate situations involving children annoying him.

"Dean, thank you for everything, but I'm going to head back now," Celine stood.

"Oh really?" Dean looked up to her.

'Okay, take care!"

The boy looked back to his left, but saw that Law was gone. He turned back to Celine and watched as Law walked out of the room with her.

"Trafaglar! Come back!"

Law twitched slightly when the boy called after him, but did not dare turn around in case he actually decides to pelt his sword through the little boy.

"Did you tell him that was my name?" Law asked.

"Well, he wanted to know about the crew," she shrugged. "So I wrote the names down for him. He read it wrong, I swear I wrote it correctly."

"I don't believe you," he said.

"Well then you'll have to deal with it, Captain Trafaglar."

He gave her a displeased look and continued walking. The island was still snowing, but not as drastically as before. Lots of the snow melted during the day when the island received around an hour of sunshine, but by night it was back to snowing.

When they reached the submarine, Law helped her onto the deck first then he followed after.

"What a day," Celine stretched. "I almost got married, you almost killed royalty, and we saved a whole island."

"I have a query about what happened at the wedding."

"Hm?"

"We all watched the broadcast, and I noticed your powers worked earlier than five seconds."

"… Yeah," she shifted slightly. "I'm not really sure what happened either."

"Here, give me your hand."

Celine felt his hand circle around her wrist slowly, he then held her hand up and removed her glove. After giving the hand a short examination, he placed it on his cheek.

"Don't," she tried to pull away. "You'll get hurt."

"I know," he kept it in place. "I'm not afraid."

'_One.'_

"Law please," she tried again, this time using her other hand to try to peel his hand off her bare one. "I don't want you hurt."

'_Two.'_

"Stop it Celine," Law grabbed her other hand. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

'_Three.'_

"You don't! So just let me-."

Law grew tired of her yelling and leaned down, capturing her lips softly with his.

Experiencing something entirely new, Celine wasn't sure how she should react – how was she _supposed _to react.

Celine let out a small gasp when she felt his lips over hers. When she realized struggling wouldn't do much in a situation like this, she stopped but instead she embraced it. She pulled her glove hand free and grasped for the other side of his face. Pressing herself towards him entirely, the two were entranced in each other's embrace.

When the two finally pulled away to catch breaths, Celine was pushed up against the outer wall of the submarine. She clutched onto Law's slender figure and breathed in out slowly.

"W-Wow," Celine whispered. "… That was longer than five seconds."

"Yes," Law smiled. "It seems there's something strange going on with your powers."

"Seems that way," she giggled.

Celine's heart was thumping hard. This feeling was something new to her entirely, sure she's had crushes now and then back on Kalmado but nothing quite like this. Also as much as she wants to deny it, she was attracted to her handsome captain.

Law was to lean in for another kiss, but she stepped out of the way.

"I'm not going to risk kissing you again until I take a shower."

Celine grabbed her glove from him, and slipped it back on.

"It doesn't bother me," he held her hand again.

"Oh, but this shower isn't just for you," she grinned. "Trust me Law, later you'd be glad I took one."

"… Be quick."

He released her hand and she headed downstairs.

Not only was it dark inside, but also because of what happened earlier, Celine was feeling incredibly disoriented. While she walked, she held onto the railings as if her very life depended on it.

Celine was feeling very hot when she arrived in her bedroom. She removed her clothing and wrapped on a towel. Everyone else is still at the castle, meaning that the whole submarine was empty with the exception of her and Law. She would have never guessed how much she would miss the musty crew showers, especially when she spend the last week living in luxury.

She opened the door and almost screamed. On the ground inside, was a blob of naked flesh melded together.

"Sorry!" Celine rushed out.

With her face flushed beet red, she slammed the door shut behind her. Looks like love was in the air, and not only for Celine. From behind her, inside the room she can hear Vic and Kane laughing at her as they went on with… their business.

Celine gathered herself eventually and pushed herself off the door.

The image of their little display was still fresh in her mind when she arrived in the med-bay. As the crew showers were occupied, the only other choice Celine had was her captain's showers… and after their little heated exchange upstairs, she was almost certain she could talk her way into anything with him. Wearing nothing but a towel, and a small bundle of clothing in her hand, she marched up to Law's bedroom.

With a light knock on the door, Celine went on in without waiting for his reply. Inside, she found Law sitting on his leather armchair with a book lay open on his lap. He looked up when she walked in, and his eyes widened as they laid on her.

"Towel?"

"I need your bathroom," she said.

"What's wrong with the one upstairs?" his eyes wavered slightly and he looked back down at his book.

"… It's currently uh- occupied," she tried to sound blasé.

"I see," he nodded, looking up again but this time he turned to the door on the far side of the room. "Bathroom's through there. Take your time."

"Thanks."

A week ago, if you had asked Celine what were the chances of her wearing a towel in Law's bedroom, she would have laughed in your face. But now while standing in his large bathroom, Celine felt maybe her chances weren't that bad to begin with.

Dropping her towel on the ground, she stepped into the marble tub and flipped the switch on.

**XoXo**

Once the sound of water running came, Law let out a deep breath. Yes, he was the one that initiated the kiss, but he never expected things to move on so quickly, and so well. For whatever reason the crew's showers were occupied for, he suddenly felt thankful for. If it weren't for that, then Celine wouldn't be standing naked about twenty meters away.

Apparently deciding on a short shower, he heard her turn the water off and the curtains pulled away. The seconds seem to tick by painfully slowly as he waited for her to emerge from the room.

When the doorknob clinked open, Law immediately turned his attention back to the book on his lap, his eyes darted all over as he tried to look for the right spot to stare at.

_**Body.**_

_**Bones.**_

_**Flesh.**_

_**Blood.**_

_**Life.**_

_**Death.**_

The words flashed through his line of vision.

Why did all his books have to be medical ones? Normally they'd serve as factual and knowledgeable sources but right now they're just plain disconcerting.

"Captain?"

"Wha- Yes?"

Law looked up and felt a little relieved when he saw that Celine was wearing a pair of sweatpants and a sweater that was returned to her.

"You're looking a bit pale," she noted. "Feeling alright?"

"A little hot actually," he closed his book.

"Yeah?" she walked over and picked it up from his lap.

"Hm."

A strange feeling Law felt as she watched her flip through the pages, she made little effort as she skimmed through the pages. Once reaching the end of the book, she snapped the book shut and ran her fingers over its hardcover. He watched her nervously, unsure of what she's planning.

"You like books don't you?" she placed it on the end table.

"Amongst other things."

"Oh?" she smiled. "What kind of things?"

"Celine…" Law sighed. "Stop it…"

"What?"

"Enough."

"What do you-."

For the second time today, Law grabbed her by the wrist. Celine was pulled like a ragdoll, she tumbled forward and fell onto the armchair. Her legs were bent oddly at the knees but fit around Law's nonetheless.

"No more games," he held an arm around her back, the tips of her wet hair just straying over his arm. "If I say it, will you?"

At such proximity, she felt uneasy. All the confidence from before vanished just like that. Every bit of courage she gathered during that small shower left her at a single touch.

"Celine?"

The only response she could manage was a meek little nod. Law tightened his hold on her with a curved smile on his lips. She smiled too in response, trying to encourage him.

It never actually occurred to her how much she wanted to hear those three words from him, those three little words that can change their relationship entirely – for the better or the worst. The very same words she was about to say to him a week ago.

Celine's heart ached in anticipation. The wait for him was almost unbearable. She placed a restless hand on his neck and inched forward.

"I love you."

There were no words to describe what Celine felt when she heard those words. She has just received a genuine 'I love you' from her haughty captain. The man whom she had felt attracted to even when they first met.

Her chest beat rapidly as she planted a kiss over his lips.

A small twitch came from Law, and that was enough for her to realize something wasn't right. She pulled away and gasped at the sight of him paling. The skin under her fingers was tinted gray and his lips were beginning to lose their colour.

"Oh my god," Celine fell off him. "I-I'm so sorry…"

Celine was mortified by what she's done to him. There was no way for her to know what he felt at the moment. His head hung low, forcing him to look to his lap, and his body was shaking all over.

Since eating the Devil Fruit, Celine had always found a way of hurting those around her, especially the closest ones. From her brother first, then his sister, and from then on she never got close to anyone else. Even when boys would come around to ask her out, she'd always decline them.

Today was the only time she has broken that rule, and she has learnt from it.

Celine pushed herself off the ground, and pulled the sleeves of her sweater down over her fingers. She reached for Law's chin and held it up for him.

"It was never my intention to hurt you, Law. I'm sorry."

He said nothing – he _couldn't _say anything. He just watched her beadily.

"Earlier you had said you were not afraid of this power," her eyes were now watery. "But I'm afraid for you."

Law may not be able to move nor speak, but he could understand every word she was saying. It hurt him that she was saying all this based on her own assumptions. Did she really think he hadn't thought about the risks to being with her?

"You know, I used to have this strict 'no boys' rule," she smiled a little, rubbing her eyes dry. "But in the showers, I thought – 'Maybe it's alright this one time. I can give it a go'. I was only fooling myself. I slip up one time and now you're be immobilized for at least few hours…"

She lifted his chin back so that he was resting comfortably on the backside of his head.

"Better for the neck," she played a smile. "I'll go now… it's getting late. I'm sorry again."

Celine picked her things off the ground, and headed out the door without looking back once. Law had hoped she would come back later, but during the tedious hours of waiting she did not return once.

While waiting, Law had come up with all sorts of plans for when he regains control over his body. But because of the long wait, Law soon felt heavy-eyed. When that feeling first came up, it didn't take much longer for him to drift into sleep.

* * *

**Disappointing? Yes.**

**More to come? Yes.**

**Will you stop reading this fic now? Probably not :D**

**I don't know about that fail confession moment… It seemed a lot funnier in my head when I first thought of it… Maybe I just have a talent for writing everything into mushy sad pile of goop. Oh well! **

**Super rushed chapter, but hey, I just wanted the loose ends tied up already :P**

**Thanks to those that alerted and favorited this story as usual! :)**

**Reviews:**

Aiko Yamazaki – Thank you for your review as usual! Sorry I haven't been PMing this week (I've been sick and I've just been writing this the whole time). I'll read your story when I have time next week :) I'm attacking with Labooon!

fritillary252 – Whoop whoop! xD Aahhh mistakes, thanks for spotting them out for me! I've already edited my doc files just haven't uploaded them yet… I'm too lazy :P You have such good memory! Oh my god, I can't even remember what I've written and what I haven't :P Ohh, I was gonna add the lights part in this chapter but it just had to wait… Haha! I'm glad you like this story!

the everchanging – Glad you think so! :D

xxOMGgalxx – bwahahaha, it's been my diabolical plan all along! I will string readers into thinking into this is going to be a romance when they never get together(gasp,ohnoes)! Jokes, They'll get together soon! :P

Noitalapsi – Yeah, I really can't kill off some kid even if he is kinda crazy. But now he can go crazy somewhere away from all these innocent people! Yaaay!

10th Squad 3rd Seat – I AM CONFUSED OVER YOUR COMMENT BUT THANK YOU ANYWAY :)

bluerulez – I'm glad you like it!

ladeste – Grrrr, I didn't expect people to actually like Vic :P I planned her as a side character, so she won't be joining the crew, but I do have plans for her to make appearances in later chapters :D

Shima Namida – oh my god! Don't say that! :P SeriouSLY! Did not think people would like Vic, AT ALL. Like I said above, she's not going to be joining… sorry about that. But she's going to show up later on in the story (Y) omg, you keep saying nice things to me and my head will explode into rainbows and glitter! Thank you!

Laryssakura – Whoa! What language is that? I'm sorry – I can't seem to find a translation for your review, but THANK YOU! :D


	10. Fire Fist

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Ten: Fire Fist**_

* * *

The sail to the next island was the shortest one out of all their trips so far. It only took half a day's time to get to the next island. Though it was the shortest wait they had, it felt longer for everyone on board. No one knew exactly what had happened, but the air was heavy when the captain and Celine were in the same room. Since leaving the island, Celine has started wearing her cloak again, even during meals. Though it was strange, no one dare speak about it.

During the offshore brief, she barely looked up or acknowledged him, and the moment Law was done speaking she walked past him and up the stairs. Shachi and Penguin had made it their business to fix this. So as soon as Law vanished from their sights, they chased after Celine into the rowdy city.

The island was named Amaretto, and it had one of the largest ports in all of Grand Line. Pirates and marines alike travel here from all over to waste their nights away in booze and women. These were one of those islands where a young pretty lady wouldn't be safe wandering around – sure Celine would be careful, but she always has a knack of attracting unwanted attention.

The two men watched closely as they followed Celine. Everywhere she went, men would leer at her in the strangest ways. Either Celine hadn't noticed or she was really good at keeping a straight face.

Celine eventually stopped in front of a bar. She stood outside and seemed to be contemplating if she should go in or not. The moment her hand reached the handle, the door swung open and a large figure ran out, completely knocking her off her feet. The man had been running at full speed and when he bumped into her, he lost his balance too and fell on top of her.

"Whoa!" he rubbed his forehead. "Sorry there! … Miss? Are you alright?"

Celine wheezed slightly from his heavy weight and tried to push him off her belly. He understood immediately, and pulled himself off her. With a little sheepish grin, he helped her up and apologized again.

"Sorry about that! I didn't mean to run into you. I was just-."

"Come back here you little thief!" A voice boomed from inside the bar.

The man winced at the volume of the voice.

"Were you going in for a drink, Miss? Trust me, you wouldn't want to go in there," he helped her up. "Well not anymore anyway. Not with the owner like that."

Celine could barely comprehend his words but just nodded along. She must have agreed to something big because he held onto her hand and began tugging her along as he ran down the street. From the corner of her eye, she saw Shachi and Penguin gaping at her as they ran by. She turned backwards and saw a large burly man running past the two pirates. The man had a large kitchen knife in hand and waddled as he ran.

"Oh, looks like he's catching up with us," he looked over his shoulder. "Hold on."

Coming to a halt, he wrapped a large arm around her waist and flung his other hand towards his feet. A blast of fire flew from his fingertips, and Celine felt them lift off the ground.

They landed on a building rooftop and he let her go.

Celine stumbled back a little and took a better look at the man. He did resemble a certain someone she's seen before, a certain someone that she'd seen on a wanted poster back at home.

"You won't happen to be Fire Fist, right?" she asked.

"The one and only! I'm Ace," he grinned. "You're Celine right?"

"What? How did you know that?" she grew defensive.

"I saw your wanted poster," he chuckled. "Marines came in earlier today with new posters. The guys at the bar were saying there's a pretty new girl with a high bounty… I just had to take a peek after that."

"I have a wanted poster?" Celine didn't know if she was feeling bothered or flattered, maybe even both. "What's my bounty?"

"60,000,000 if I remember right," he scratched his head.

Celine's eyes widened at the sheer amount of money the government's willing to pay for her. She hadn't done anything so significant to get such a large bounty. All she's done was get taken away and wait for a rescue.

"Were there any new bounties?" she asked, wondering about Law's potential new bounty.

"Not that I remember of," he thought back. "… Oh wait! There was some teenage kid with 99,000,000! Apparently he's some prince."

"Oh," Celine shifted slightly.

So there was news on Jareth but none of her captain, but that seemed only fair with Jareth's incredible bounty reinstated with an add on of 9,000,000.

"Anyway," Celine shook the thought away. "I should go now."

"How about I buy you a drink? I feel awful bad for knocking you over just now," he spoke up.

"Yeah? Just like that?" she turned to him.

"Why do you sound so suspicious?" he chuckled. "I just want to make it up to you, that's all."

"Huh," she crossed her arms. "I'm sorry, it's just that I've spent my last few weeks with these deviously cunning men. They're always up to something bad."

"Yeah?" he laughed. "Tell me about them."

"God, where do I even begin? Well there's-."

"Tell me about them in a bar," he stopped her before she could go any further.

"Right okay," Celine sighed. "I guess there's no harm in that."

**XoXo**

"You should have seen it, Captain!"

Shachi and Penguin were retelling the story of how Celine got swept away by the infamous Fire Fist Ace, but no one seemed to be taking it too seriously. Well that's only because they haven't mentioned Fire Fist yet…

"So Celine was outside a bar, taking her time going in," Penguin started.

"Then out of nowhere some really large guy runs out of the bar and knocks into her," Shachi exclaimed. "They practically fell on top of each other!"

That got Ryuu's attention, but Law still sat adamant in a corner playing with his inked knuckles. Vic had been listening intently the whole time, and nudged him to carry on.

"And he dragged her off down a hall because some fat guy came chasing after them," Shachi said. "Then! You won't guess it, the guy freaking picks Celine up and blasts fire out of his hands!"

"Out of his hands!" Penguin reaffirmed.

"Hands?" Vic scratched her head.

"Well more like his hands turned into flames," Shachi looked to his friend for agreement.

"Yeah," Penguin nodded. "And there's only one man in the whole of Grand Line that can turn into fire…"

"Yeah right," Vic snorted. "As if Fire Fist Ace would be hanging around these parts of Grand Line. He's probably just some hobo with magic tricks. Well I don't know about you guys but I'm gonna save Celine from the hobo."

"I find myself interested in this fire-breathing hobo," Ryuu stood up and stuck his hands in his pockets.

"Law? Why don't we go find the fire hobo and save Celine?" Vic turned to the captain knowingly.

As if he only just heard their conversation, Law snapped his attention over and gave Vic an apathetic look. He shook his head briskly then turned back to his brooding.

"Aw come on, Cap. Don't be such a sourpuss," Ryuu pulled the man off his seat. "Here, he's up! Let's go!"

Law felt his hat being forced onto his head, then in no time he was out on the streets. He didn't even got a chance to grab his sword, at least it's not going to be left unattended back at the inn with Kane and Jonah. Here and there, the trio ran all over in search of the magic hobo and Celine, but it was to no avail as neither were seen anywhere.

Miraculously, after minutes of being pushed around, Law found himself forgotten by the two when they noticed a group of homeless men sleeping around in the streets. With this given chance, Law slipped away from the two and headed back towards the bar they were in originally.

This island was repulsive and unsightly. There were drunken men and crudely dressed women everywhere. It definitely wasn't a place Law wanted to stay long for.

"Hey cutie!"

Getting hit on? This was Celine's caliber, not his.

Law turned around and was met with what had to be the most terrifying woman that he's ever laid eyes on. This woman was… large. Incredibly large, maybe even five times his own size.

This was way beyond of his capabilities. His gut instinct told him to turn around and walk, and that's exactly what he did.

"Wait up!"

As he walked away, Law could feel the ground shaking under his feet as she ran after him. It was dreadfully scary experience for him, but he tried to keep a straight face as he turned to face her again.

"Can I help you, miss?"

"My! Not only are you cute, but you've got such wonderful manners!" she gushed. "I like you!"

"… Miss," Law struggled with his words. "I'm afraid you might have gotten the wrong idea… I'm just on my way back to a bar. My friends are waiting for me, you see… So I really ought to get going. Evening."

"Not so fast!"

The woman reached a tremendously large arm out and grabbed Law by the collar before he can get any further. Never once had he felt so victimized by a woman, it was displeasing and degrading.

"Miss," Law hissed, finally losing his patience. "Please, I am not interested in whatever-."

"Look here, handsome," she snarled into his ear. "My name's Olive Grenadine, and this is my daddy's island. If you don't do as I say bad things will happen."

"… And what is it that you want?"

Law figured he best just go with whatever this beast of a woman wanted for now to avoid conflict with whomever her 'daddy' was.

"Just a drink," she grinned suddenly. "Let's go then! I know a place!"

**XoXo**

Across the island, Celine sat across Ace in a dimly lit bar. The place was pretty much empty and frankly, they wouldn't be here if Ace hadn't be kicked out of every other establishment on the island.

It was surprisingly easy to talk to Ace. Much more easier than talking to the people she sees everyday. He's told her quite a bit about the New World, why he's away from his crew currently and his search for his little brother.

"Your little brother?" Celine repeated.

"Yeah, he's really pathetic so I worry about him a lot," he explained.

"And he's come to the Grand Line?" she raised her eyebrows.

"Well not that pathetic," he chuckled, reaching into one of his pockets. "See! He's got a pretty nice bounty."

"Strawhat Luffy… Monkey D. Luffy?" she read the small writing. "That's not a very impressive bounty. Even mine's higher than his."

"Oh, you wait and see," Ace grinned. "His bounty's going to keep raising and raising. I just know it."

"Yeah sure," she rolled her eyes.

"But enough about that, tell me about your crew – these devious mean men," Ace turned to her again.

"Alright, so we're the Heart Pirates-."

"Never heard of them."

"Let me finish," she hushed. "And we've got eight people in our crew, including me, six guys and a polar bear."

"The polar bear's the captain, I take it?" Ace smiled.

"Ha-ha," she rolled her eyes. "At least we've got a polar bear."

"We happen to have a phoenix actually," Ace boasted.

"No," she scoffed.

"Really," he insisted. "Whatever, his name is Marco. Now tell me more about these guys."

"First up we got Shachi and Penguin, they're these guys that kind of creep around everywhere," she thought hard. "It's not that they're actually creepy… it's just they've always got this weird smile on their face, you know? As if they're up to something all the time."

"Well that's not too bad," Ace said.

"Oh, trust me," she shook her head. "I'm saving the best for the last."

"Then we've got Ryuu and Kane," she tapped her fingers on the table. "Kane is perfectly fine, except I walked in on him sleeping with someone last night."

Ace made a face and shrugged.

"What about the other guy?"

"They're brothers actually," she noted. "And Ryuu… he's so confusing, I don't understand half the things he says. For some reason, he also seems to go against everything I say or do, so not only do I not understand a thing he says but he's almost annoying me too."

"Serious, Celine?" Ace sipped from his sake. "That's hardly a problem, that just means he likes you."

"What?"

"He likes you."

"No he doesn't."

"How thick can a person be?" Ace placed his cup down. "He likes you. Lets move on to the next guy."

"Uh well… the captain's next…"

"Oh, we're getting to the good part," Ace chuckled.

"I-, um… do you know why they call me Devil Hands?" she asked, and he shook his head in return. "Well basically if I touch a person too long they become immobilized… amongst other things…"

"What other things?"

"Lets just focus on the immobilized part for now, okay?" she snapped.

"Uh- alright."

"So they kind of go into this trance where they're conscious but their bodies go limp…."

"You drain their power?" he asked.

"More or less, yeah," she shrugged. "And I have no control over it, and recently the timings been off… it's usually five seconds but things have been so strange lately. It's gone from a single touch, to three seconds and there was even a time when nothing happened after at least ten seconds…"

"And?"

"Well… my captain… his name is Law," she played with the cutlery on the table. "We sort of kissed… and I put him in that trance… It didn't hurt him or anything but it's still incredibly embarrassing on my part… not to mention dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"Did I mention I can kill a person if I touch them for too long?"

"Oh," Ace nodded in an awkward manner. "Well uh- he's alright, right?"

"Yes, but-."

"Then there's really nothing to be sorry about," he said. "I mean if I were this guy and I knew about your powers, I'd definitely would have thought this through before deciding I want to be with you. If I was really that afraid of the consequences of kissing you, I wouldn't have even kissed you to begin with."

Celine saw fire situation in a new light. Perhaps Ace was right… maybe she should go speak with Law.

Just when she was about to open her mouth to thank Ace, the doors were kicked open. A monstrous woman walked through the doors – now Celine understood why the doors were made so big, it was for her specifically. The woman strolled in, and held close to her was none other than Law.

One look and Celine choked on her alcohol. Noticing her attention was directed at something behind him, Ace turned around and snorted at the sight.

"We have a problem, you skinny tart?" she walked over next to Celine's seat.

"Of course not," Celine took a deep breath and shook her head. "Not a problem at all."

What Celine didn't know was how terribly bad she looked at the moment. Her eyes were watery and her cheeks flushed red from coughing and laughing. The woman was obviously unconvinced by her tone – no one was.

The moment Law felt Olive was going to say something, he cut in and tried to soothe the situation.

"Miss Olive, this is one of my crewmembers. Forgive her bad manners," Law gave Celine an intimidating look, then he turned to Ace. "And this… her friend."

"Ace," he gave them a light wave.

"Friends of Law's?" Olive nodded. "Alright then, I forgive you."

Olive proceeded to pick Celine up with two fingers alone, and tossed her across the table to Ace. Thankfully Ace was both large and strong enough to catch Celine without her getting hurt. With the booth now cleared, she tossed Law in first and then sat on the outside.

"Ah, this feels like a double date," Olive nodded in assent.

"Uh- we're not dating," Celine pointed to Ace then at herself.

"Whatever," Olive disregarded her quickly. "I didn't catch your name, Skinny."

"It's Celine," she frowned at the distasteful nickname.

"Heh," Olive nodded. "Name's Olive Grenadine, my daddy owns this bar."

"Oh, how about some free food then?" Ace grinned.

Originally Ace had planned for another eat and run but if there's an opportunity for him to weasel out free food then he's all for it.

"Sure, go order whatever you like."

Ace practically bounced of his seat and ran to the bartender. With Ace gone, Law was the only male left at the table, and he felt incredibly uncomfortable with the tension between Olive and Celine.

The two women, no matter how different they looked, felt the exact some toward one another – dislike.

Celine glared dagger at the larger woman as she sipped slowly on her sake.

"So how did you two meet?" Celine asked, question directed to Law.

"Funny you should ask, we literally ran into each other!" Olive gushed. "It felt like love at first sight!"

It was strange how deranged this woman was. Everyone in the room thought it, but kept quiet about it. Celine decided she'd humor her by playing along, which would no doubt annoy Law too.

"Really?" she smiled. "Because that's exactly what happened with Ace and I. He saved me from a man with a butcher knife, you know?"

At that moment, Ace returned to the table with a very satisfied smile on his face. It seemed he hadn't heard any of the conversation before, and was focused entirely on taking orders.

"I ordered a whole bunch of stuff for us to share," Ace grinned. "Big O's right, Celine. You've got nothing on your scrawny little bones."

"You're lucky you're cute Ace," Olive twitched ever so slightly.

"I'm not scrawny!" Celine looked down on her figure. "I've got just enough of everything."

"Jeez, you're so defensive," Ace nudged her with a rapturous smile. "I'm just teasing."

Across the table, Law couldn't help but clench his jaw shut tight to refrain from speaking out of place. Sure, there might not be anything going on between the two, but like with Ryuu, Celine lets down her guard around these men. She's able to laugh and joke with these men, something that has never happened with Law.

Once the food was placed on the table, Ace began gulfing down on his share as if this was the last meal of his life.

"What are you guys waiting for?" Ace glanced around the table. "Dig in!"

With those words said, Olive picked up a tray of food and ate. It was no surprise she could each so much, but Ace was able to keep up with her – maybe even more than her.

Law and Celine hadn't moved an inch from where they sat and just watched the two eat. Celine didn't know if she should be feeling impressed or sickened. The two were gargling down food at a crazy pace, it's as if they don't have to chew, just swallow.

"Eat!"

Ace shoved Celine piece of meat, and pushed a bowl towards Law.

Just looking at the chicken in her hand made Celine feel sick, she looked up to Law who seemed to have a mutual feeling with her.

While no one was looking, Celine slipped the chicken back onto a plate discreetly. Almost as soon as the meat was left alone, it was grabbed by either Olive or Ace – it happened much too quickly for her to tell.

They may have had their differences and had an embarrassing situation that happened to them just last night, but at times like this they've got to work together for a common cause. Law and Celine's common cause? Leaving this place as soon as possible.

Celine coughed once and when Law said nothing she coughed again, louder this time. Law was too transfixed on the grotesque feast displayed in front of him to hear Celine. Giving another loud cough, she finally caught his attention. Law turned to look at her, and she nudged her head towards the man sitting beside her. She then pointed to her throat and let out another subtle cough.

'_Tell them I'm sick!'_

"Mister Ace, how would you like to come back to my ship?" Law asked. "I'd interested in your large food intake and metabolism. Perhaps I can run some tests?"

"Huh? Sure, but you've probably got to wait a bit… it's gonna be another few minutes before-."

"No!" Celine called. "You don't want that Ace, trust me."

"What? Why not?"

"Just no," she shook her head.

Law gave her a cold disappointed look but didn't pursue the issue as Ace has gone back to his food and wasn't listening anymore.

"Anyway…" she coughed again, this time loud enough that everyone can hear. "I'm feeling unwell! Law can we head back to the ship so you can take a look at me?"

"My, you're a doctor too?" Olive asked between bites.

"Yes," Law stood up, immediately remembering what kind of situation they were in. "Let's go, Miss Celine."

'_Finally!'_

Happy with his long awaited realization, Celine stepped over Ace and waited as Law struggled out of the booth. Olive's sheer size, gave him no way to get around her and he hopped over the backboard of the leathered bench into the other booth.

"Hey, see ya Celine!" Ace called after them, but he didn't move from his seat. "It was nice meet you! You too Law!"

Celine gave him a wave before running after Law who had already made it halfway down the street.

"We will mention this to no one," he said when she caught up.

"What? That we were on a double date? How I got to hang out with the one and only Fire Fist and you scored with a scary fat lady?" Celine smirked. "I'm sure they'd love to hear about it."

"No, it'll be the captain's word against yours," he shook his head. "All of them already think you were kidnapped by a fire hobo of some sorts, I'll just tell them I rescued you from the him."

"Fire hobo?" Celine repeated. "Is that supposed to be Ace?"

"Who else?"

"Alright, I won't tell," she crossed her arms. "… Hey Law?"

"Yes?"

"Are we alright now?" she asked after a moments thought. "I'm sorry for what happened again…"

"And again, there's no need to apologize," Law stopped walking. "You blame yourself too much Celine. I knew what the risks were, and I didn't care – I don't care even now."

"Law… a relationship doesn't work without touching…" she sighed. "Not just a romantic one, most relationships don't work without touching."

"I don't mind," he shook his head. "It's not as if sex is the only thing on my mind."

"… You're sure?" she looked him in the eyes.

"I wouldn't have said all that if I wasn't one hundred percent sure," Law held her gloved hand. "May I kiss you?"

Celine would have protested, but that would mean she's ignoring everything that just have been said. She gave her consent with a nervous nod of her head. Law seemed somewhat pleased as he gripped her hand tighter in his.

"Just a peck, okay? A little one."

Law nodded as he slowly inched closer to her face. Her heart was beating rapidly again, and her fingers began to sweat inside the material. When Law was a mere inch from her lips, she squeezed her eyes shut, both nervous and in excitement.

A light touch on her lips and it was over.

She opened her eyes and reached out to touch her lips.

"Just like that, and no harm done" he smirked. "Come, let's head back."

**XoXo**

"Why did you let him out of your sight?" Vic roared. "Seriously, now both Celine and Law are missing!"

"Oh quiet down," Ryuu reached for his sake. "What are you still doing here anyway? Go away."

"Yeah, screw you too," Vic rolled her eyes. "Not until they're back… well I want to make sure at least Celine is safe."

"Guys… come on… stop arguing…" Jonah groaned. "I'm sure wherever they are, they're fine."

After another hour of yelling, Law and Celine eventually came back to the inn together. They looked very… cuddly and happy… well for Law standards anyway. Usually he had a permanent indifferent expression plastered on his face, and if not that a sly smirk.

"You two together now?" Ryuu looked up from the table.

"N-No! He's not my boyfriend!" Celine spluttered.

"Right…" he looked to Law.

"We're not," he simply said.

No one believed them, but no one said otherwise either.

"Celine and I are going to head back first," Law picked up his nodachi. "Just needed to pick this up first. Oh, and if a large woman comes in asking for either me or Celine, don't say a word."

"Why not?" Kane asked.

"You'll understand the moment you see her," he shook his head. "And Vic, the chances are I won't see you again before you leave. So, good luck."

"Yeah, thanks a lot," Vic shoved past Law and held onto Celine's hands. "Alright lil' sis, I'm gonna go soon. Take care, yeah? Don't let these idiots bully you."

"She bullies us," Ryuu told her.

"Thanks Vic," Celine sent a deadly look to Ryuu. "You're sure you don't want to come with us? We're fine with it if you want to."

"No, it's fine really," Vic smiled. "I gotta get back home and see my family, but I'm sure we'll see each other again."

"Alright then," Celine nodded. "Good luck then."

Celine and Law left just as quickly as they had appeared. Everyone in the room settled down better once they were gone. It wasn't they didn't approve of the relationship, it was just sudden as they weren't speaking the whole day.

"Come on, we saw this coming," Kane huffed. "There's no need to be so surprised over it."

"Yeah but, we've had all these plans and stuff to get them together and here they are…" Shachi sighed.

"Then is that not a job well done to you?" Kane smiled. "Anyway, I'll walk you to the docks Vic."

"Yeah, alright."

Once they were gone, only Ryuu, Penguin and Shachi were left. The two seemed contently in conversation with each other, so Ryuu stood up and headed out.

"Where you going?" Penguin called.

"Got something I have to do," he replied blandly.

"Should we come with?" Shachi asked.

"No, there's no need," Ryuu smiled back. "It's just something little. I'll see you guys back on the ship later."

Once the two were reassured, Ryuu left the inn. He hummed as he toyed with the piece of stone in his pocket. Looking around town, he wondered where he could find a jeweler.

**XoXo**

Jonah and Bepo were nowhere to be seen when they returned back on the ship. It wasn't very late, so they couldn't have been asleep yet. But the crewmembers are the last things on their minds at the moment.

"We've got to do something about these powers of mine," she sighed. "I feel like I'm depriving you of your manly needs."

"I assure you my manly needs are in check," Law smiled. "It's your womanly feelings of needing to be caressed and kissed that worries me."

"Oh? Well I'll have you know I've spent the eighteen years of my life without kissing someone… until last night."

"That worries me all the more."

They stopped at the second level stairwell.

"Alright," she said. "I'm going to take a shower now."

"Come see me later?"

"Perhaps," she smiled. "But if I do you may be rendered unable to move again…"

"Like I've said," he pecked her lightly on the forehead. "I am not afraid."

Celine couldn't feel luckier at this moment. To have met someone so fearless and understanding of her powers, this was something she had never expected.

"I'll see you later then."

Law left her to dwell on her thoughts, and once his footsteps have echoed away, she began walking down the hall.

There was no doubt that there were ups and downs after joining the crew. Downs being taken by a mad teenage boy then nearly have to marry him, having a scary but relatively harmless pirate on the hunt for her. The ups, meeting people she can confer with, and of course, meeting Trafalgar Law.

After a long steamy shower, Celine climbed into her bed found herself at much ease compared to last night when she couldn't sleep while feeling regret and embarrassment.

The door creaked open eventually and a long sigh came from the door.

"Go away," she droned. "I'm tired, we'll talk tomorrow."

"Sleeping with the lights on again, Miss Celine?" she could hear the humor in his voice.

"… So it was you," she poked her head out of the sheets. "The first night I was here…"

"I was planning to check up on you briefly, but like this time, you've given me another reason to stay longer," he sat on the edge of her bed. "… I confess, I'm finding it very difficult to keep away from you."

"Then stay," she scooted over.

Celine passed him her extra pillow and he leaned back against the headrest. He took a long breath as he wrapped an arm around Celine's shoulders, pulling her close to his chest.

"I saw your wanted poster today," he said.

"Did you?" she looked up to his face. "I haven't even seen it myself."

"Yeah, they had a picture of you from your wedding," he his chest rumbled as he laughed. "It looked rather… extravagant."

"Oh god… No…" she whined. "You don't think they'd let me resubmit a picture?"

"I doubt it," he smiled.

"What about the other bounties? Did you see yours?" he nodded in reply. "Please tell me you beat Jareth's new bounty."

"110,000,000."

"Seriously?"

"Yes."

"That's incredible," she sat up. "I don't think any other rookie has a bounty as high as yours."

"That I know is not true," he smiled lightly. "There are plenty of others with higher bounties. I took a glimpse of this one man named Eustass Kidd. He's already at 250,000,000."

"You make it sound like a competition of some sorts," she leaned onto his shoulder.

"More or less," he was chuckling again.

In these ten minutes alone, Law must have smiled and laughed more than he had in the last few weeks put together. This put Celine at ease, knowing that Law enjoyed her company.

"Tired?"

"You have no idea," she hummed back, nestling her cheek in his warmth.

"You and Fire Fist seemed to be on friendly terms for people who have just met…"

Celine smiled lightly, peering up through her eyelashes. Law stared ahead, keeping his eyes locked on something in front of him. She's begun to notice his tendency to do that – to stare at something to keep himself distracting.

"What's the matter, Law? We're not jealous are we?"

"Just a casual observation."

"… I admit I do find Ace's company… relaxing," she watched his jaw clench.

"And my company doesn't put you at ease?" he asked.

"I never said that," she defended. "He's easy to speak with, that's all. It shouldn't matter anyway, the chances are we'll never see him again."

"… I understand," he nodded slowly. "I don't mean to put you in on the spot… It's normal for a man to be bothered when the woman he loves can so easily speak with other men."

"You worry too much, Law," she smiled. "You're my utmost favorite."

"You haven't said it yet."

"Said what?"

"How you feel about me," he looked down at her.

"It's not that much of a big problem if I don't say it, is it?" she grinned. "You know I love you."

"It doesn't hurt to hear it from you," he smiled.

"Hm…" she leaned in close. "I love you."

Law said nothing, but his grin was enough to show how pleased he was. He wrapped an arm over Celine's shoulders and pulled her into an embrace.

"Hey watch it," she scolded. "We wouldn't want you in a coma-like state again, would-."

Her protests were silenced by a quick kiss on her lips.

"Seriously," she tried to jerk away from him. "I don't want to hurt you again, so-."

Another kiss.

Celine couldn't help but giggle at his efforts. Eventually she gave in and didn't fight back anymore, she clung onto him as he rolled her over so that he hovered inches above her.

It was a provocative position, they both knew that and they both understood that they shouldn't go any further lest something bad happens. It was an unsaid mutual agreement between the two.

Law leaned forward for another kiss, and that's when Celine felt a jolt from him. In no less than a second, he collapsed on her completely and began breathing strangely.

"I saw this coming," she shook her head as she shoved his weight off her chest. "I warned you but you just had to go all kissy and touchy."

A reply wasn't expected from him, but when none came she looked to him anyway. Law lay on the bed flat on his face. His face was pressed up against the mattress completely, it would have been amazing if he had been able to breathe through that. With all seriousness in this situation, Celine couldn't help but laugh.

"You should see yourself right now," she did her best to flip him over without touching his skin. "It's quite a sight."

She leaned onto Law's clothed chest and examined his face. Once again his lips were dyed a pale purple. He didn't seem to mind having her on his chest – or so, there were no ways for him to complain even if he did have a problem.

Their eyes met after a moments while, and she grinned back.

"We ought to get my powers checked out," she sighed. "Okay, twitch once if you'll be willing to carry on with those experiments of yours."

The body beneath her didn't move a muscle.

"Are you even trying?" she jeered. "If you are then try harder."

After another minute of waiting to no avail, she rolled off him and onto a soft pillow.

"This sucks…" she hummed. "I'm not strong enough to carry you down, so you'll have to sleep with me, all right? Though I doubt you'd object to that idea…"

A small sound came from Law, and she turned around to see the corners of his lips curved upwards in a small smile.

"I bet you're thinking dirty thoughts," she kicked him towards the edge of the bed. "You better not try anything when you can move again."

She could just imagine a witty reply from him. He would probably say something that'd set her on the edge… Now that she thought about it, she wasn't all that comfortable sharing a bed with Law.

Looking back at him, that same smile was plastered on his features. She kicked him further from her, but perhaps too far as he vanished off the side of the bed.

"…"

Celine crawled to the edge of the bed and stared at the limp body lying below her. The floor wasn't painfully unbearable… it should he all right to leave him there for now. Once he's able to move again, he'll just go back downstairs.

"I'm leaving you there, okay?" she whispered. "It's nothing personal, I just have no strength to lift you back up… goodnight."

Unseen to her, Law's lips pressed into a fine line. He was displeased with his situation. He had started off lying next to her in bed and now on the cold hard ground. Celine was definitely going to get an earful from him tomorrow… after he decides on how to begin the experiments again.

* * *

**Fairly short and insignificant chapter in the story but hey they're finally together :D And cameo from Ace, just wanted to make sure you guys knew where abouts the story is. So this is just before Ace meets Luffy in Alabasta :)**

**Thanks to everyone that alerted and favorited this story as usual :D**

**Reviews:**

SoraLover987142 – Haha yeah, they're gonna be like that for a while. Well basically that moment during the wedding, she really didn't want to go through with the whole Jareth thing so I guess something triggered it. Then from that point on it's been irregular, it's gonna keep going on/off until she trains it… or something :P Hope that made sense!

Ladeste – whaa, thank you! :)

Aiko Yamazaki – I'm attacking with a Sea king! :D

10th Squad 3rd Seat – I suppose so yeah… he's definitely gonna make another appearance later on… dundundunnn. Haha yeah, flustered Law is the best Law :D

Noitalapsi – I knoooww, I just needed another little conflict before they actually got together :P Yeah.. she's gonna have to sort that out soon :P Thank you! :D

xxOMGgalxx – Haha yeah, this time he's left lying flat on the cold ground :P

ArabianNinja – Wow! Thank you! :) Yeah… since it's One Piece, I wanted to write more about the adventures as well. I probably tried the hardest with this story (to make the story more interesting :P), I'm glad you like it! Yeah, I'm just trying my best to get my characters more and more original. Whaa, I'm flattered! I agree yeah, it'd be waay to easy if they got together just like that. Thank you! :)

Guest – No! It's completely alright! :) thank you! I'll try to get the next one up as soon as I can :D


	11. Golden Rule

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Eleven: Golden Rule**_

* * *

The Heart Pirates have been staying on Amaretto for well over a week already. Everyone was beginning to grow anxious over the long wait. Almost every day the crew would leave around noon and come back looking as if they'd been crying or in fights – it's been different for particular crewmembers.

Neither Celine nor Law found the appeal in drinking with vulgar men so they had stayed put onboard the ship for the whole week.

Things have been quiet between the new couple over the week. They had barely seen each other, with Law had been busy down in his bedroom doing more reading and research while Celine has spent almost every moment she can in the dojo.

"Hey Celine…"

Turning from a training dummy, Celine looked to the door and saw Ryuu giving her a short wave.

"Hey," she smiled. "What's up? You look pretty pale…"

"That giant woman is back again," he shuddered. "She gives me the creeps."

"Seriously?" Celine sighed. "Here for Law again?"

"I already told her we don't know a Trafalgar Law," Ryuu groaned. "Thank god she doesn't fit through the door, or she might be down there smothering him right now."

"Thank god for that," Celine agreed with a light chuckle.

Ryuu watched her as she went back to her kicking. Things have changed drastically over the week. For starters Celine's become painfully nice to everyone. All smiles and grins to everybody, to the point when it's starting to become creepy.

"I got you something," he reached into his pocket.

"Oh?" she glanced over. "What is it?"

It was difficult to speak with Celine practicing. She's gotten a lot better in a week's time, that he concluded while watching her land two good kicks. The dummies creaked and bent unsightly, as Celine kicked.

"Uh- I'm not sure how useful you'll find it…" he pulled out a silver chain. "But it might solve your little touching thing with Law."

"Huh?"

Her foot stopped an inch away from the clothed dummy. Bringing her foot back down quickly, she then hurried over to examine the chain. At a closer look she immediately understood what he meant by solving her problem… The chain held a Kairoseki pendant.

"Wow, you got this for me?" she picked it off him. "Does it work?"

"Are you feeling all dizzy and grossed out?" she nodded slowly in reply. "Then yes, it works."

Celine touched the bright blue gem and immediately shivered from the feeling. It may feel bad, but if it'll give her the chance to touch someone, then she'll take the chance.

"Help me?" she turned around and held the chain around her neck. Ryuu fastened the clasps for her. "Thanks."

"Feel any different?" he asked.

"Just a little sick," she rubbed her forehead. ""Here, give me your hand."

Ryuu hesitated ever so slightly, and that made Celine grow anxious.

"Oh, just give me it," she grabbed his hand. "… Okay, let's give it a moment."

They stood silently as the seconds slowly ticked by. A small grin crept onto Celine's face when they passed the five seconds mark.

"Oh my god," she sounded disbelieving. "… Thank you, Ryuu."

She released his hand and gave him a brief hug. Celine wore very little when she was down at the dojo, she was wearing a pair of shorts and a thin tank. Skin on skin. Flesh on flesh. The hug wasn't very long, but it gave Celine a whole different perspective on hugging.

"This is incredible!" she squealed. "Where did you get this Kairoseki from?"

"I swiped it from the med-bay," he shrugged.

"… Don't tell me this was the one that was in Jareth," she played with the chain.

"The very same one."

"Oh sick," she made a face.

"Well I washed it and everything," he recalled. "Forget about that, go tell Law the good news."

"Oh, you're right!" she nodded. "Thanks again!"

Celine gave him another excited pat on his relatively bare shoulders and ran off squealing. Ryuu watched her go with a small hint of a smile. There was no point in feeling regretful now, they've both made up their minds… and he has to come to terms with that.

'_I did the right thing.'_

**XoXo**

Law felt a strange sensation when the large door swung open. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, but it was so minor it almost felt like nothing. Emerging from behind the door, an ecstatic looking Celine walked in.

"Law, look at this," she pointed to her neck. "Pretty, huh?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Where did you get it from?"

"Ryuu gave it to me," she grinned. "But that's not what's important. The pendant… it's Kairoseki."

The gem shone brightly under the intense lighting. It was no doubt the same gem that he had extracted from Jareth last week. It was no wonder Ryuu was hanging around the med-bay on that day they arrived at port. He must have slipped away with it then.

"It's nice," he nodded.

"Very," she smiled. "And… I can touch people now… well without them dying."

"Yeah?" he seemed preoccupied with something else.

"Yeah!" she placed her hands on his shoulders. "I can touch you… all of you!"

Law stared back at her glassy-eyed.

"What's wrong?" she placed a careful hand on his cheek.

"It's nothing," he snapped out of his daze. "That's brilliant."

"You're worried about the Ryuu-present thing, aren't you?" she sighed.

Somewhere on the inside, she remembered Ace's words from the bar a few days ago. He may have claimed that Ryuu had feelings for Celine, but he hasn't made a move or said a thing that could have suggested it.

Maybe it was a men's intuition, and maybe that's why Law was so wary of it.

"I've already told you!" she brushed off the thought. "There's nothing to worry about! He just realized a better use for it is all."

It took a while before everything had processed through Law's mind. After another moment's time he smiled down at her.

"Come here," he wrapped his tanned arms around her.

"Oh no, don't," she winced. "I'm all sweaty and gross."

"You're perfectly fine, Celine," he rested his chin on her head. "… The chain bothers you, doesn't it? It bothers me and I'm not even the one wearing it. You don't have to wear it just-."

"No, I want to," she pushed away slightly. "I really do."

"Alright," he murmured, loosening his grip on her.

Law had agreed with her, but his face said otherwise. It really wasn't a problem for Celine, it might be a little bothersome but it's worth all the trouble if it means she can touch Law.

"Law?"

"Hm?"

"Why don't you hold me closer?"

Law couldn't help but chuckle at her boldness. He obliged to her little demand and pulled her into his chest. At such a close distance, Celine could hear his heart hammering away in his ribcage.

"Your chest's going doki doki," she giggled.

"Only for you, my heart," he whispered.

"Heh," she smirked. "That actually sounded romantic."

"That's generally what I was aiming for."

An unbearable knot was building up in Celine's body. From her heart to her stomach, things were growing hot and sweaty. Being held so close to Law, without the worry or the chances of hurting him.

"Shall we move this along to the bedroom?" his voice sounded dark and hoarse. "That is if you-."

The floor shook under their feet then, the entire submarine was shaking over something. Law had caught onto Celine before she tumbled onto the ground from the impact.

"What the hell was that?" he hissed.

"Disappointed?" she teased.

"About the interruption?" he looked at her. "Yes. Very."

"Should we go check?" she asked.

"No, it seems that it's passed," he looked towards the ceiling. "I'm sure whatever it was, Ryuu could handle-"

"_TRAFALGAR LAW!"_

The voice was thunderous but sounded weakened all the way down on the third level.

"Was that… Olive?"

"We're not going up there," Law crossed his arms.

The submarine jolted again from a heavy hit.

"Whoever said I was going?" Celine pushed him down the room. "You're going to sort this out."

It felt like she was trying to get a little boy to leave on his first day of school. It was difficult with the faces he was giving her, but she managed to get him out the door. As soon as Law was on the staircase, she turned around and headed to his bedroom.

While he sorts out his mess, she might as well give herself a well-deserved break from all that training. Something grabbed her from behind. She looked down and saw the pair of tattooed hands that she was held in moments ago.

"You're coming with me," he murmured into her ear.

**XoXo**

"Uh… lady, you need to get off," Ryuu scratched the back of his head. "Please? Our ship might sink."

"Get Law out here now!" Olive cried. "I want to see him."

"For the last time. We don't know a Law, alright?" Ryuu frowned. "You've got the wrong place."

"Don't lie to me!" she thumped her foot, causing the floor to shake again. "I did some research on him. His crew travels on a submarine just like this."

"… Don't sink our ship please," Ryuu sighed. "Alright, alright… Law did own this ship."

"Did?"

"The crew had a mutiny and we kicked him out," he shrugged. "He left the island last night."

"What?" Olive took a shaky step back. "He's gone?"

"I'm afraid so, yeah," Ryuu nodded. "Now can you please get off our ship?"

"How do I know you're not lying?"

"Why would I lie to you?" he stuck his hands into his pockets. "There's no reason for me to protect that bastard."

Olive seems to consider his words when she looked down to the wooden floorboards. It had been at least a minute before she started speaking again.

"Alright, I understand," Olive turned around. "I'm sorry for the trouble."

The moment Ryuu thought it was over, he heard footsteps coming up onto the deck.

"I don't want to go," Celine whined.

"Quiet down," Law hushed back.

"But she scares me," she said.

"She scares me the most!"

It wasn't loud, but Olive was standing that far away from the hatch door. Ryuu watched as Celine and Law appeared from the door. Neither looked as if they were particular motivated to do anything, in fact, Celine looked as if she was going to cry.

"Law!" Olive's eyes practically sparkled at the sight of the man. Her gaze grew thin then turned to glare at Ryuu. "You! You did lie to me!" then she noticed Celine hiding behind her beloved. "Skinny! What are you doing with him?"

"Miss Olive, please," Law walked forward. "Why don't we step off before we speak?"

"I'm so glad you're okay!" Olive grinned, her eyes brimming tears. "He told me that the crew mutinied against you and then you had to leave!"

"Oh, did he?" Law tried to sound amused. "I've just been busy these past weeks."

"With what?" Olive's eyes trailed over to Celine. "What's going on with you two?"

"Uh, Olive-san," Celine stepped forward. "I would like you to back off on Law, please."

"Do you like him or something?"

"I do like him," she nodded.

"I don't like your tone," Olive glared down. "I thought you were dating Ace."

"For the last time, I'm not," she sighed. "He's just a friend and nothing more."

"… But Law is mine!" Olive cried.

Celine and Ryuu exchanged skeptical looks whilst Law just looks plain annoyed. No doubt the three of them just wanted her gone, but this proved to be more difficult than they imagined.

If she is indeed who she claims she is, the daughter of this island's owner, then they shouldn't anger her before their pose sets. The man at the shop had said a week and three to four days. With being the third day after a week, they certainly hoped it was going to be the third day.

The pirates turned away from Olive and huddled up.

"I say we kick her into the water and watch her drown," Ryuu whispered.

"You can't be serious," Law sighed. "Ideally, we want no trouble on and island such as this. We should go with her demands until the log pose sets."

"No! As if we'd hand you over to someone like her," Celine snapped. "I'm with Ryuu on this one."

"Don't be impractical-."

"Law!"

Before anyone could react, a large grubby hand circled around Law's waist and picked him up. Both Celine and Ryuu with their mouths hanging open watched Law get lifted into the air.

"Uh…" Ryuu tucked a hand in his jumpsuit pocket. "What d'ya say, Celine? How do we get our precious captain back?"

Celine stepped up to the fight. She took a step forward towards Olive and looked her square in the eye. Even though the other woman was much larger than she was, Celine was determined to knock her down.

Knowing exactly what she was planning to do, Law gave Celine a look.

"Don't do it, Celine," he spoke softly. "I don't want the trouble, I can handle my own affairs by myself."

Bartering with Celine was difficult but she eventually stepped down.

"Alright, thank you Celine," Law nodded. "Miss Olive, I'm all yours. Please put me down."

Olive gave Celine a spiteful look as she placed Law down back on the ground.

The tension in the air was obvious, and Ryuu felt as if he was suffocating with these people around him. Giving his captain a short glance, he saw that Law was thinking the same thing.

"Let's go, Celine," Ryuu tapped her shoulders. "Why don't I help you with your punches?"

Placing his hand firmly on her heaving shoulder, he turned her towards the hatch door. Her steps were shaky and quick, Ryuu didn't blame her, but even if she was Law's lover she had to follow the captain's absolute orders.

"Don't worry about him, Cel," he whispered low. "Law's a big boy, he knows what he's doing."

Celine said nothing as she continued trudging down the staircase in silence. The fact that Law had asked her to leave like he did annoyed her greatly. If they really were together now, the least he could do was stand up for himself more in front of other women.

From the deck, she can hear Olive making all sorts of demands and comments. What she's asking for was all beyond ridiculous, and every word she spoke just agitated Celine even more.

"Celine?" Ryuu placed a sturdy hand on her shoulder when she stopped walking. "What's the matter?"

Without a word, Celine pushed past Ryuu and headed back upstairs. Ryuu protested behind her, but made no move to stop her. If she didn't know better he probably wanted her to go.

The metal doors creaked open wider, Olive and Law both turned to the door simultaneously to see Celine standing by the metal frame. Ryuu was nowhere in sight, and Celine looked upset.

"What's up with you, skinny?"

"I've got a name and it's Celine."

"Yeah? I only remember the names of people worth remembering, and frankly you're not one of them."

If Celine had been mad before, she was now furious. Without thinking, she kicked the larger woman off the deck and into the sea. It caught everyone by surprise, it definitely caught Olive by surprise, and the two men watched in both horror and shock. It's been not so long ago that Celine was practically useless in a fight, but now she's more than capable.

"Law, I'm afraid your little fits of jealousy are nothing compared to mine."

It was a strange feeling having a smaller woman defend him, to have Celine hold an arm up in his stead. It was almost attractive how fierce and defensive she's being; something Law was growing to admire. Her chest was shifting rapidly to her heartbeat, and her arms shaking from the excitement. She'd never looked more perfect to him.

"Ryuu, go fish her out."

"Huh? And then what?" Ryuu frowned, pulling his shirt off. "Return her? I don't think she's got a collar, Cap."

Celine snorted out loud before Law could reply. Ryuu too chuckled as he unlaced his boots. After a couple of seconds of silence, the two burst out laughing much to Law's dismay.

"…" Law glanced at her. "That's not funny."

Ryuu coughed uncomfortably as he zipped up the jumpsuit up to his collar. It was the first time Celine's seen Ryuu properly wearing his jumpsuit, and she couldn't help but giggle again.

"That's enough, Celine," he held her into a loose headlock. "Ryuu, would you just carry Miss Olive out of the sea and bring her to some of the locals. They'd know where to bring her."

"… Right," Ryuu climbed over the deck. "On it."

Once Ryuu hopped off the edge, Law gave a long sigh as he released Celine. In a matter of minutes, things have made a drastic turn for the worst. Olive Grenadine might not have been very threatening or strong, but he wasn't sure he could say the same for the rest of her family. Especially by the way she went on about the number of guards they have on the island.

"… Oh, I'm sorry," Celine's lips twitched. "I didn't mean to. She was really getting on my nerves, and I just… snapped."

"It's fine, it's fine," Law murmured as he planted a kiss on her cheek. "We'll take on whatever they come at us with."

**XoXo**

The news of Olive's 'attack' reached the Grenadine family by nightfall. It seems the people that attacked her had left her to dry by the docks after trying to drown her. The details were sketchy but the point was one of theirs was attacked. There was golden rule on the island of Ameretto, and that was don't mess with any of the Grenadine family (and definitely don't mess with the boss' children).

Olive and Gin were children of Toni C. Grenadine, being the children of the local mafia boss meant that people knew to get out of their way. But occasionally, some pitiful foreign traveller may not know of the rules, and get mixed up with the Grenadine children; those men would end up 'disappearing' from the dark alleyways of the island and never to be seen again.

"Been a while since someone last messed with us, eh Sei?"

From across the room, a white-haired man straightened up at the sound of his name. Sei was a pale and frail looking young man whose only purpose in life was to serve the Grenadine family. Sei, like every single other member of the mafia wore a black and white suit; with the only exception that he wore wooden clogs instead of polished leather shoes.

The two men were in the bedroom of Olive Grenadine, and she lay unconscious on her large bed. On a chair pulled next to the bed, Gin sat staring at his sister's unmoving body. Unmoving was putting it lightly as the woman seemed to shake by just breathing.

"Yes, Gin-san."

"Maybe they're targeting us?" Gin laughed. "Not very smart people… who did you say they were again?"

"Pirates."

"Pirates, such uncivilized trash," Gin repeated with a snarl. He ran a finger down his sister's dry cheek. "Why would anyone ever dream of hurting sweet Livs?"

'_I can think of a few good reasons,' _Sei's jaw grew tense. "I have no idea."

"Hm…" Gin nodded with an unreadable expression on his face. "Let's see the posters?"

Sei reached into his jacket and pulled out the two posters he had received earlier. One was of the Surgeon of Death, and the other of Devil Hands. He had only taken a brief look at the two before he was sent to escort Gin, but from what he saw the two had to be relatively skilled to have acquired such high bounties.

The man took the posters and looked them over. He examined both pictures carefully, but his eyes seem to linger on the second poster.

"Pretty, isn't she?" he showed Sei Devil Hands' bounty. "Devil Hands Celine… what a sexy name. Maybe I'll keep her after she's defeated… What do you think?"

"… I don't think that would be the best idea, Gin-san," Sei picked the posters from Gin's hands. "These people do not look to be the types that you can so easily defeat. Both their names and bounties are ominous. Perhaps-."

"Oh shut up, Sei," Gin frowned, grabbing the posters back. "Isn't that what you're here for? Remember your place. You've got no word on this island. You belong to the Grenadine family, and we keep you for your skill not for your voice. Are we clear?"

"Yes."

"Good!"

The shorter man took another good look at the posters in his hands. Thumbing Devil Hands' bounty in his hand, Gin looked back and forth between Celine and Law.

"You'll be taking care of the Surgeon of Death, got it?" he passed Law's poster to Sei. "Round up the men, we'll leave in ten."

"Understood."

"I want to keep her all for myself…"

Sei ignored the dark glint in the man's eyes and turned away. All this has been far too much for one day. Things have been moving far too quickly than Sei liked. From seemingly out of nowhere, these strong pirates have appeared and now they've taken out the boss' daughter. If he's not careful, if Gin gets taken out, he'll have to answer back to Toni… and he's not a man you'd want to disappoint.

His breathing began to grow jagged as he thought of the possibility of failing to kill Trafalgar Law. Surely Toni and Gin would think of some way to take away more of the little he already had… if he wasn't already dead.

It was time again.

When he got so restless, it was time for that pointy little needle and jar of drugs. Sei had developed a certain illness over his teenage years; it was an incurable disease that turned him albino and forced him to take medicinal drugs on a weekly basis. The drugs weren't healthy for the rest of his body and messed with his Devil Fruit powers but it kept him alive. Even if he objected to using the drugs, Toni would probably force it through his veins. He was destined to work until his last breath for the man that both gave him a home and took away his chance of fully living.

Death seemed so glorious to the young man, but like many he was afraid to tread into the unknown.

Filling up the needle with great speed and skill, in less than thirty seconds he's sterilized the metal point and injected the fluid into his blood stream. The feeling was close to euphoric as he slowly began to grasp his reality again. Jumbled bits of his mind were now pieced back together. If only he had a key to lock everything in place. Then he wouldn't have to be so dependent on the drug.

Clearing his throat, he pulled out a mini Den-Den Mushi.

"Gather the men up, we're leaving with Gin-san in nine minutes."

"Where to?"

"The docks."

"Got it, Sei-san."

The line clicked off and he placed the Den-Den Mushi back into his coat pocket along with the little box containing the needle and drugs. It was going to be a long night ahead, and he wasn't looking forward to it one bit. For starters, these folk seem like they'll put up a decently difficult fight, and two, he wasn't feeling his very best tonight even after the drugs, and lastly, he hadn't ate yet.

Heading downstairs to grab a quick bite before leaving, Sei hurried along the stairs towards the bar. Unluckily for him, he wasn't alone in the bar. Sitting by the counter was no other than Toni C. Grenadine, or 'the boss'.

Toni was the exemplar of perfect aging. The man looked no older than twenty-five but was over twice that age.

"Sei."

"Boss."

"A group of my men just marched outside," Toni lifted his cigar from his lips. "They said they were under your orders. Where exactly are you planning to take them?"

"I'm under your son's orders," Sei replied. "I am sure you are aware of Olive-san's attack. Gin-san had brought it upon himself to take revenge for her."

"Ah… yes," Toni nodded along. "Olive's attack, of course. Hm… What do you think my son's chances are against these pirates?"

"… Forgive my bluntness," Sei sighed. "But I think he could get killed."

"Well good thing you're going to be there, huh?" Toni smiled, patting his shoulder. "But if anything gets too out of hand – which I doubt will happen, just give me a call and I'll hop right over."

"Got it, sir."

**XoXo**

"Being on guard is kind of boring."

"You're the one to speak," Penguin yawned. "You caused all this, remember?"

"Oh, I didn't mean to, alright?" Celine groaned.

Currently the two were camped out on deck along with Bepo and Jonah. Kane and Ryuu were below deck, bulking up for the upcoming fights. No one knew what exactly to expect, but they're not willing to take chances.

In the evening, the air grew dark and chilly. It wasn't as terrible as the last island, but still Celine wasn't used to the coldness. Lying back against Bepo on the wooden deck, Celine gazed up to the thousands of stars in the sky.

As an evening breeze blew past, she closed her eyes and shifted with the wind.

"You serious, Celine?"

"Huh?"

"I leave for a moment to get drinks for you, and you fall asleep?"

"I'm not asleep," opening an eye with a slight frown. "And it's partially your fault for taking so long."

Shachi placed the sake bottle next to her legs and opened one for himself. Glancing to her feet, she picked up the bottle and twisted the cap off.

"Should you two really be drinking while we're on a lookout?" Jonah asked.

"We've been at it for two hours and no one has shown up," Shachi shrugged as he passed a bottle to Penguin. "Plus, the rest of us aren't doing much anyway. Ryuu is asleep down there."

"Of course he is," she rolled her eyes. "That's just like him to slack off at such a critical time."

"… Seriously Celine, how big of a hypocrite are you?" Jonah sighed.

"What?" she shrugged, crossing a leg over the other. "I'm on lookout with you guys, aren't I?"

"Just because you're the captain's girl now, it doesn't mean you get special treatment," Penguin said. "You're still same old newbie Celine."

"On contraire, I think it means you've all got to treat me like a queen," she chuckled.

"Ha-freaking-ha, Celine," Shachi grumbled, nudging her feet ever so slightly. "I'd die before I bow down to you."

That little gesture from Shachi proved to be a mistake, because in little to no time were they involved in a kick battle. It was a little one; with either one too lazy to move from where they were positioned, but it was enough to annoy everyone else present on the deck.

"You guys are so noisy…" Bepo whined.

"That I actually agree with," Penguin watched them with distaste. "It's getting late and its cold, I get it. So why don't we all just drink our sake and-."

"Uh… guys?"

"What?" Penguin snapped at Jonah.

"There are people coming this way…"

"How many?" Celine's movements didn't falter.

"Twenty? Thirty, maybe?"

Jonah couldn't see well in the dark, but he can clearly see dots of lit torches coming their way. Penguin and Shachi joined Jonah by the edge of the deck and watched for any of the Grenadine family.

"What should we do?" Jonah asked.

"Why don't you three go out and try to stop them before they get to the docks?" Celine suggested. "Bepo and I can stay here, and in case things go bad, we'll go get the rest of the guys."

"What? No!" Shachi called. "I'm sick of doing all the work around here!"

"Please," Celine rolled her eyes. "You don't see the other boys complaining."

"Uh… Celine…" Bepo shifted upwards.

"What? Bepo! No! Don't!"

Before she could finish, Bepo had stood up and Celine's head flew straight down onto the wooden floor. Celine grabbed a hold of her head as she cowered from the pain.

"Ow…" she muttered. "Bepo! You're gonna pay for that!"

"I'm sorry!" he cried. "I'm so sorry! Your hair was tickling me!"

"You go on ahead with the guys," she instructed. "I'll watch from here."

The boys (plus Bepo) gave her a look but went on ahead regardless. Sending four should be more than enough to stop them if they were all at Olive's level of skill. The four dark figures soon disappeared into the shadows, and not long later shouts and cluttering can be heard from the darkness.

Though she couldn't see, Celine knew that the fights raging on were not in their favor, but neither were they losing. It seems they're going toe-to-toe by the sound of guns firing and kicks landing.

As the minutes ticked by, Celine grew anxious; it seems that she might just have to call the rest up. Taking one last sip from her sake bottle, she headed towards the hatch door. She was almost certain that sending Kane and Ryuu out as backup should be enough. There was no need to call Law out over something like this, especially since she was responsible for the mess.

Before she reached the metal door, she heard voices coming from just below on the docks.

"I'm not sure if we should have gone ahead alone, Gin-san."

"There you go running your mouth again, Sei. I'm not interested in what you have to say. Just shut up and fight when I need you to."

"…"

"See! That's much better."

Celine turned around when she heard clunky footsteps on the wooden planks behind her. Two men stood before her, both wore dark suits but one wore wooden clogs on his feet, which explained the loud footsteps. The shorter man had light fair hair and carried a katana. The second man's hair was equally light – maybe even lighter, and his skin was pale and clear. The two looked threatening.

"Who are you?" Celine called.

"My name is Gin Grenadine," the first man eyed her strangely. "And you're Devil Hands Celine, the woman that attacked my baby sister."

"Your _sister _is a menace," Celine frowned. "And she had it coming."

"Doesn't matter what she did," Gin shrugged. "It's a rule here; you don't go around beating the Grenadine family."

"Like I give a crap," Celine crossed her arms. "If that's all you have to say, then I suggest you leave. You've got no chance against my captain."

Celine glanced over to the other man ever so slightly. He may have been silent this whole time, but he gave off a powerful presence by just the way he stood and watched. They may actually have a problem with this one.

"I don't think so," Gin chuckled. "If you're so certain that your captain can defeat me, then go get him now. I'll even wait for you here."

"Oh, you're going to regret that," Celine warned.

"Go on, go get him," Gin challenged. "I won't move an inch from where I'm standing."

"Fine, then I'll-."

"That's not necessary, Celine."

Three figures emerged from the hatch; Ryuu and Kane came out first, followed by Law behind. They took the initiative and stepped past Celine, straight up to the two outsiders. Law gave off quite the presence whilst carrying his large nodachi.

"Ryuu, Kane," Law spoke. "You two go ahead and help out with the fighting by the docks. Celine and I will take care of these two."

"Are you sure?" Kane glanced over to his captain. "The taller guy looks a lot tougher than normal guys."

"I am," he stepped forward. "Go on ahead."

The brothers each gave Celine and Law looks before walking towards the edge of the dock. The two men made no moves as Ryuu and Kane walked past them, they let them pass without so much as a word.

"You should have asked those two to stay," Gin called. "We're not so weak to be defeated by a single man and woman."

"I don't doubt that," Law balanced the sword between his neck and shoulder. "Your friend looks like a formidable opponent."

The other man, Sei, took a step forward in front of Gin defensively.

"Room."

Law raised his hands up, and the familiar circular dome surrounded the four on deck. When the two glanced around in confusion, Law took that chance to unsheathe his sword.

He made a clean cut towards Gin, and his head flew right off.

"Gin-san!"

"What the hell!"

"Shambles," Law turned to face Celine. "Your necklace."

"Way ahead of you," he saw Celine pulling the chain into her shorts pocket. "Give it to me."

The man's head began flying towards their direction. Celine caught the head with ease, and gripped the man's cheeks.

Sei watched on, unsure what exactly was going on. He's made out that even with Gin's head removed, his life was still intact, but he didn't know how long that was going to last with the Surgeon of Death and Devil Hands moving so quickly.

His first priority was to get Gin's head back where it belongs – on his body.

"Sei! Save me! Save me!"

"I'm coming, Gin-san."

When Sei took a step forward, Law gave him a deadly glare. The pirate lifted his sword arm again and made another cut his way.

Never once has Law missed when cutting up someone in his 'room', but he did this time. He was almost certain he'd sent it the right way, and that it did hit the man. But still, he stood in front of him in one piece and undamaged.

Law desperately made another cut, but the results were the same.

"Sei! Hurry the hell up! I can't-."

It was too late for him to do anything for his friend anyway. Even if Celine's powers were acting funny again, it's been well over ten seconds. Like he thought, Gin's body stopped flailing around on deck, and it collapsed onto the ground.

"Sorry, Sei-san," Celine passed the head to Law. "I'm afraid I've killed him."

"… G-Gin-san."

"I take it he was in charge?" Law held up Gin's lifeless face. "Not a very tough guy, is he? Neither is he smart. One of Miss Olive's relatives?"

"Her brother," Sei reached into his pocket. "And I assure you that our real boss won't be as disappointing."

Pulling out a mini Den-Den Mushi, Sei murmured a few quiet words into it as he kept his eyes on both Law and Celine.

"I hope not," Law tossed the head over when he put the Den-Den Mushi away. "Did you just call him down?"

The man awkwardly caught Gin's head with two hands. He doesn't seem all that upset that his superior was dead, just a little bothered by a dead person's head in his hands.

"… Yes," Sei placed the head on floor carefully next to Gin's body. "You two have got strange powers."

"And so do you," Law's room vanished. "What exactly did you do just now? I couldn't slice you at all."

"… You've got your secrets," he shrugged. "I've got mine."

The man was defensive, and so were Law and Celine. The two pirates weren't sure what to make of Sei. He seemed completely loyal to Gin, but the he didn't look genuinely grieved when he died. It made relative sense, since Gin was rude towards Sei the whole time they were together.

"So, what now?" Celine crossed her arms. "Are we just supposed to go along with your stalling until your boss shows up?"

"If you like," Sei shrugged back. "In all honesty, I don't want to fight you two; but if the boss asks me to then I will. For now… when it's just us three, I'd prefer not to do anything."

"You don't seem very concerned about these people," Law said. "Why do you work for them?"

"… I belong to them."

"People are not property," Law sheathed his sword. "You belong to no one."

"And if I'm not a person? How can one be so sure about that?"

"What do you mean?"

Celine took a step forward towards the man, much to Law's distress. Sei back stared at her beadily as he seemed to think things through his head. His built up thoughts and feelings were dying to be voiced, but he felt it would be inappropriate to tell strangers about such things – especially as they are Gin's murderers.

"Sei-san?"

"Don't take a step further, Devil Hands."

From behind Sei, an aged man walked onto deck. He bore similar resemblances to both Olive and Gin; he was no doubt their father. The man was older than he looked, this the pirates could tell by his tone of voice and they way he carried himself.

Having heard the second part of their conversation, Toni placed a hand on the taller man's shoulder and looked to Celine.

"I don't appreciate you trying to sweet-talk my subordinate," he said. "He's very sick, you know? A delicate boy, one that can be swayed easily by a pretty face."

"If he's so sick then perhaps you should relieve him from his duties," Celine didn't like the way he spoke about Sei. "You are responsible for him, right?"

"Oh, you do make me smile, Miss," he chuckled back. "Of course, I'm responsible. Sei take your meds, before you start fighting again."

Sei gave him a quiet nod and began fumbling for something in his jacket pocket. The older man stepped forward towards Celine to distract her from whatever Sei was doing.

"I'm Toni C. Grenadine," he spoke softly. "And I believe that one of you has killed my son and injured my daughter."

Celine took a shaky step back, feeling a dreadful pressure coming onto her. The man maybe a hefty bit older than her, but that just meant he's had more experience and power.

"That would be me."

Coming to her defense, Law held a hand around Celine and pushed her behind his frame. Celine didn't like the fact that someone had to step in for her, but she did feel a little spooked about Toni. If she had to pick between her pride or safety, she'd easily choose safety.

"Hm," Toni placed a hand on his chin. "You wouldn't happen to be Trafalgar Law, would you?"

Law confirmed it with a small nod.

"Oh dear…" Toni shook his head. "And it was just last week that my daughter came up to me and told me she's found her soul mate… that's rather unfortunate."

"Your daughter was mistaken."

"Looks that way," Toni glanced to Celine then back to Law. "So, Trafalgar Law, it seems I'm obligated to take revenge for my children. Ready, Sei?"

"Yes."

"Good," Toni cornered Law away from Celine. "You take Devil Hands, and I'll take Trafalgar."

"Celine?" Law quickly caught her eye.

"I'll be fine," she nodded. "You go on."

Law knew that Sei had a power of some sort, and the man wasn't exactly mentally stable either. But if Celine was confident to fight against him, then who was he to say no? She's had plenty of training these last few weeks, with this last week's training being more vigorous than the rest.

"Come Trafalgar!"

From out of nowhere, Toni pulled out a pair of pistols and shot at Law's feet, forcing him to jump back a few steps. It was obvious by his approach that Toni wanted them out of the way for Sei and Celine. That probably meant that Toni trusts Sei to take care of Celine.

"I warn you," Law dodged another round of shots. "Celine's not as weak as you think."

"Oh, I know."

Toni fired again, now having successfully forcing Law off the submarine. Law landed on his feet with a slight stumble, he looked up and watched Toni too hopping off. Deciding to take an offensive measure, Law raised his hands up in preparation for his 'room'.

"I know exactly what Celine's capable of," Toni spoke. "But I'll have you know that Sei's the strongest amongst us all – including me."

* * *

**It's been a while, but here's a new chapter with brand new baddies! :)**

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed, alerted and favorited this story!**

**Reviews:**

Caramel27 – Glad you liked it! :D

Eviline – oh, she returned all right! And she brought along her gang of scaries! I'm afraid Ace won't be appearing again (maybe later-notsure) :P haha yeah, she's definitely gonna have to fix that power of hers, but for now she can wear her pretty necklace until she gets it sorted!

Aiko Yamazaki – finally updated! :D haha it's been a while so I might as well be dead from all the pineapples you've thrown at me xD

Noitalapsi – yaaay!cookies! :) yeah, they're together (sort of whatever xD) and thank you! I'm glad you liked it!

the everchanging – Typical Ace, he can pull anything off :P Thank you, I hope you enjoyed this one!

xxOMGgalxx – ehehe, he got cockblocked again this time xD

ladeste – Who doesn't love a little Ace? ;) You're very welcome! :D

10th Squad 3rd Seat – And a seriously handsome doctor/pirate ;D

SongJaemin – oooh! I'm glad you think so! I did spent a bit of time trying to give them more of a back story I suppose (more of my OCs' at least :P) I just wanted to add more life to rest of the crew. You're welcome and thank you for your kind words!

Crazydoglover – Thank you! :) Yeah, he does, but she's chosen to ignore it and he's trying to come to terms with her being with Law.

Elys – Thank you! I'm putting a lot of effort into coming up with these mini arcs xD Eerrrmm, I want it about the same as the islands the Strawhats had to go through… so after this island about four more? (but I'm desperately trying to get to Saboady because I've got so much stuff I want to write about that :P). It's active all the time right now (but it's kind of like an on/off thing), she just needs to find a way to hit that switch to an off. I want at least one Supernova to show up before Saboady, and maybe a shichibukai… I'm still not sure though.

SoraLover987142 – hehe, I thought so too!

Girl-luvs-manga – yup! And for now we have a temporary solution!

law – glad you like it! and love your username ;)

Shiningheart of ThunderClan – you called it! xD though I don't want her to keep having to use it to suppress her powers though, it's kind of a hassle and it's not exactly secure.

Falling Right Side-Up – thank you!

EW2d – aaah, 'great one piece feeling'. You have no idea how happy that makes me xD thank you!


	12. The White Demon

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Thirteen: The White Demon**_

* * *

For a man that was supposedly sick, Sei moved swift and quick. Every single kick he would dodge effortlessly. It wounded Celine's pride a little, knowing that he's been avoiding her this whole time they've been at it without so much as making a move towards her.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" she growled.

"… You're a woman," he stepped back just before her foot hit his cheek. "I don't like fighting women."

"That's not fair," she panted as she took a few steps back. "It's not like you're without any handicaps. You've got to take daily needles just to stay alive, I'm sure that's more of a burden than me being a woman."

"… I don't want to fight you," he looked away. "I'd much rather fight Trafalgar."

Celine held back a comment, and just took the chance to take a better look at Sei. The man was thin and pale, even his hair was a vibrant light silver; if it weren't for his striking ocean blue eyes, the man would be white all over.

"Well I can't help the fact that I'm a woman," Celine called.

"True," he nodded. "You want to know something else?"

"What?"

"You won't beat me," he eyed her slowly. "You're too slow – much too slow."

"Then I'll just have to get faster."

"Good luck."

Even at such a situation, he managed to mock her so. Celine growled as she lunged her stronger leg forward. Her kicks have gotten much stronger since she last had a fight; the only problem here was that they're not landing. If a hit were to land, then she'd probably send him flying and have the advantage.

Left. Right. Left. Right.

Celine kicked at a steady rhythm, with each kick getting slightly faster than the last. She had always been a fast runner, much faster than her brother and sister; but this man here was just insane. He'd dodge out of the way even before she lifted her leg.

"What's your power?" she panted, stumbling backwards. "Is this how you avoided Law's attack earlier?"

"I didn't avoid anything with Trafalgar, his attack hit me straight on," he shook his head, jerking his head just in time before Celine sliced her foot down. "But, I am avoiding you though."

"How? How are you predicting my moves?" she frowned.

"I'm not sure…" he gave it some thought. "I've got good hearing? Maybe I'm psychic? I don't know."

"Are you messing with me?" she frowned.

"No," he stepped away from her. "Can we please not fight?"

"What is your deal?" she cried. "If you don't want to fight then don't! Leave that group of yours!"

"I can't."

"Well, why not?" she frowned. "And don't say because you belong to them, because you don't."

"… I don't remember well," he shook his head. "They took me in…"

"Who? Toni? Gin? Olive?"

"Not them," he murmured.

Celine felt as if she was going in circles speaking to this man. It wasn't a waste of time trying to speak to him, but she could tell it's taking him a lot of effort just to recall his past.

"Wait, you're sick right?"

"Yes."

"My captain- Law, he is a doctor," she took a step forward.

"I already have medication."

"Where are they from?"

"… The boss."

"Well maybe Law can treat you so that you can leave the island," she proposed. "And he's a good doctor, he managed to cure a little girl from a deadly disease."

"You say he can cure me?" Sei's eyes lightened up slightly. "What do I have to do?"

"Leave Toni."

"I can't do that," Sei looked away.

Now we're back to square one. From what she's gathered, it seems he just feels obligated to serve the people that has taken him in. He didn't seem awfully fond of Gin or Olive, but perhaps there were others before. Others that now weren't here.

"Are we fighting again?" he frowned when Celine stepped over.

"I don't see another way!"

Celine put everything she had into the next kick. Using the strength of her body weight, she swerved her foot over her shoulder. It was a far-stretch considering all her past attempts with Sei, but if she didn't hit him with this one, she might actually break down crying and give up.

To Sei's surprise, he wasn't able to react as quickly as he usually did. He still saw the hit coming but by the time he did, she was already inches away from his cheek. Pulling back immediately, Celine's kick only scraped the knick of his chin.

"…" Sei rubbed his chin. "You got faster."

"Trust me that's not the only thing's that's improved," she grinned, tugging her trainers off along with her socks. "The next time I hit you, you're as good as dead."

"Yeah? And why's that?" he stared at her toes. "I thought you were Devil Hands, not Devil Feet."

"The marines got some facts wrong," she shrugged. "But just keep in mind that if I touch you, you die."

"And you think you'll be able to hit me?"

"I got you that time didn't I?" she smirked. "But I've had enough of talking."

Celine charged towards him, kicking back and forth over and over. Now with new-gained confidence, Celine felt herself going faster and faster but he was making it difficult by moving quicker than her with every attempt at hitting him. Those clogs of his clicked as he moved. It was annoying as he's able to step away seconds before any of her kicks hit.

One hit was all she needed; she can end all this with one swift kick. It was too bad he was making this so difficult for her. She didn't want Law (or anyone) having to come rescue her after she said she'd be able to handle this man. Celine wanted to prove that she wasn't just all talk and no results.

At last, at the brink of giving up, Celine managed to catch him off-guard. Swinging her leg around as fast as possible, it looked like it's going to make a clean hit on his cheek. Unable do stop her, Sei's eyes widened as he watched her foot approaching. Judging by his expression, Celine knew she was going to hit him.

With a large grin, she twisted her leg giving herself a better angle to strike him. She thought she had won the moment her toe reached his skin, but instead of feeling the warm flesh, her foot flew right through his tensed jaw and out of his chin.

'_What the hell!'_

It was as if he'd suddenly turned untouchable. Everything suddenly made sense; how he was able to come out of Law's 'room' intact.

"You've eaten a fruit, haven't you?" she asked, stepping back in caution.

"… I suppose," he rubbed the back of his head. "I don't do that very often… it's very rare that someone keeps up with my pace to actually hit me… well done."

"How do you not know if you've eaten a Devil Fruit or not?" she frowned. "You're poking fun, aren't you?"

"Oh no, please don't think so," he looked up to her. "Of late, I'm just not remembering things very well. I don't even recall names of the important people in my life."

"You know Toni."

"I see him often," he shrugged. "It's the people in my past."

"Right…"

Celine wasn't fully convinced with what this man claims. It wasn't as if she felt he was a bad person, he did seem genuinely lost and confused about his past. But it was the fact that he insists on helping a group that he felt nothing for. Then of course there was his lack of knowledge on himself; being a Devil Fruit user too, it seemed almost ridiculous not knowing about your own power.

If Celine had to make a guess on his abilities, she'd say it's not a logia fruit but a pharmacia type. She'd spoken to Law after their encounter with Jareth about the different fruits. If Sei wielded a logia fruit's power he'd have an element, and it didn't look as if he had anything out of the ordinary apart from his ability to phase through things.

That ominous feeling she felt earlier had to be this, Sei was looking more and more like a formidable opponent. But still, she wasn't going to give up just like this. In fact, now that she knows what she's up against she's feeling better about her chances. It's much better than parrying him whilst being wary of what he's capable of.

Taking long deep breathes; Celine narrowed her eyes on the man stood in front of her. There must be a weakness somewhere, everyone had one; hers is her weak arms, Kane doesn't think before rushing into fights and Ryuu plays around too much before he gets serious.

Like before, it didn't look like Sei wanted to fight. He was waiting, giving her the time she needed before she decides to run at him again. It was no use just standing here watching him, if she really wanted to learn his weakness, she'd have to go confront him.

Celine took another deep breathe before running ahead. Though her kicks were technically 'landing', her feet slide straight through Sei's body. It's not just his head, but the same goes for all parts of his body. When she tried to attack his arm, her foot just phased straight through his clothed arm and waist.

The very first time her kick hit his chin was when she caught him off-guard. She'll probably have to do the same again. There wasn't a lot more she can do to surprise him though; he already knew how fast she could go and have an idea of what her powers are.

Gripping her fist, Celine prepared to throw them at him. She had no upper body strength, but he didn't know that. If maybe, she manages to surprise him with a quick lunge with her fist, she would be able to kick her dominant leg over quick enough so that he can't react.

That is exactly what she did. He dodged her fists easily, but didn't see the kick coming. With a small frown as he held his bruised jaw, he stumbled backwards, clogs clicking away soundly as he did. For a sick person, he handled one of her best kicks pretty well. No broken teeth or bones, just a really red cheek.

"Ow…" he mumbled, taking a step forward. "That hurt."

_-Clunk-_

_-Clunk-_

Celine looked down to his feet and stared at those annoyingly wooden clogs. For the whole time they've been fighting, those blasted things have been clicking away to the wooden floorboards. It would have been fine if he were just walking, but he was talking actual heavy steps in order to evade her.

'_To evade me…'_

Then it hit her.

Sei's clogs have been clicking the whole time they were fighting – even the times he was phasing through he attacks. So it meant that when he's phasing through her attack, other parts of his body were still tangible. In order to keep himself from falling through the floor, his feet have to stay solid on the ground. If she were to get him flat on his back under her, he wouldn't be able to phase pass her as he risks dropping to the deck below.

Hoping her theory would work, Celine headed towards Sei with a newfound determination. Once reaching his vicinity, she dropped down and swiped her leg down to his feet before he could even react. Miraculously she successfully toppled him off his feet completely. He landed backwards with a loud thud, and Celine crawled on top of him, pinning him down.

"Wow…" he murmured. "This is the first time someone's got me down."

"Be quiet," she hushed. "It'll be over soon."

Placing her hand on his cheekbone, she glared at him hard as she waited. From all the time her powers have to work properly, it just had to be now. Surprisingly, he didn't seem all that concerned about getting her off; instead he just lied back and waited for whatever she had planned. It wasn't until five seconds when Sei started stirring beneath her.

Sadly for her, Sei had another trick up his sleeve. Gathering all the strength he had left, Sei pushed forward through Celine's chest and stood up. It was difficult getting the right balance between tangibility and intangibility on his body, especially with after having most of his life drained by Celine. Sei panted heavily as he took heedful steps back from her. She had tried to kill him, and would have almost succeeded if he hadn't acted quickly.

Celine was still on the ground, staring at where Sei had just been with disbelief. Her lack of control over her own abilities were really starting to get to her, first with trivial matters like cuddling with Law, and now in a serious fight bridging life and death.

Sei watched her carefully. He may be lost and confused about his past, but this was the present now. If she was giving everything she had into killing him, he'll return the favor gladly. He pulled off his suit jacket and rolled up his left sleeve.

The moment Celine turned around after getting up, she felt a thrust into her chest. Looking down to her breasts, she saw a pale arm struck into her body. It was painful – it was painful just watching, but in reality the feeling of having your heart grabbed was incomparable to anything she's ever felt before.

"… Let go…" she held his forearm. "I can't-…"

This was the second time he's held a human's life in his bare hand. He didn't even want to think of how gruesome the heart must look; the feeling of the beating organ in his palm alone was enough to sicken him. Now that she's got her in his fingers, he wasn't sure what he should do with her. The first time he had someone's heart at his disposal… he ripped it out without thinking twice. He didn't feel the need to or the same hatred towards Celine though… but whatever he decides he should act fast before her heart stops.

"Hm…"

'_My life is in his hand and he's being indecisive?!'_

Celine winced when Sei squeezed her insides. It was getting harder to breath by the second, and she couldn't move in risk of him tearing her heart from her chest. Her eyes were beginning to haze too; it was difficult just to focus on his blank features.

"Let me go…" she coughed. "Please… let me-."

"I die if I touch your skin, right?" he asked. "Answer me!"

She gave him a weak nod.

"How about we die together?" he whispered. "The moment I feel my death coming, I'll pull your heart out. It'll be quick and painless."

Death seemed like a kind mercy now after a minute of having her heart seized. If she could reply she would have said yes.

"Hm…" he reached his free hand for her face. "I wonder what it'll be like… to finally end it."

Forcing her eyes shut, Celine waited for what awaited her. The end that she's going to share with a stranger… it didn't seem very befitting, but it wasn't as if she could think of a better way to die.

The throbbing sensation was still there, but Celine looked to have lost consciousness. Gripping Celine's life tighter in his hand, he leant forward towards her face. In seconds everything will be gone – all the pain, the medication, and the loneliness; he'll be able to leave everything behind. He leant in for his very first and last kiss.

"Mister Sei."

"…" Sei grudgingly turned to face the voice. "Trafalgar."

"I've killed your boss," he took wary steps over. "You're free from his rule, so now if you would release my crewmember."

"Toni is dead?"

"As dead as one can be."

Sei watched him closely, trying to catch on any small movements to indicate if he was lying or not. Once determining the truthiness in what he claimed, Sei pulled his hand out from Celine. Like all the other times he's reached into a person, his retracted hand was covered in thick blood.

Law ran for Celine before she would hit the ground. He caught her by the shoulders and he rested her on his lap. Nothing looked out of place on the outside, but Law was worried what kind of problems might be taking place on the inside.

"You're not going to fight us anymore?" Law asked when he noticed Sei watching him perform the examination.

"I never wanted to in the first place," Sei murmured back. "Is she alright?"

"She's unconscious," he told him. "Probably from the lack of blood circulation, but she's at a stable condition. She'll be out for a while though."

"… I see."

"What do you plan on doing now?" Law looked to him. "Now that Toni's dead."

"I'm not sure… I wouldn't mind leaving, but I won't get far without my medication."

"Should I examine you?" Law rolled his sleeves down and picked Celine up. "I'm a doctor."

"Yes, that's what Devil Hands told me," Sei nodded. "But it's quite alright, I've caused nothing but trouble for you."

"You let her go when you have every means not to," Law spoke as he gave her a quick glance. "As her captain, let me return a favor."

"You're surprisingly a reasonable man, Trafalgar," Sei sighed, stepping towards the edge of the deck. "I'll get rid of the rest of Grenadine's men first. I'll then come back."

"Sounds fair."

Even though Sei has said he wasn't going to fight them, Law wasn't entirely convinced. The man was all kinds of fucked up; he may not be evil, but he's certainly no saint either. Law couldn't tell what exactly his condition was, but it looked as if it's gotten worse for him over the years.

Picking up Celine's discarded trainers on the way, Law made his way downstairs.

**XoXo**

The fight with the Grenadines ended really abruptly with one of their leaders showing up from nowhere and slaughtering every single one of his remaining subordinates. He had insisted he made peace with Law, and asked for rest of the crew to return.

They were now assembled on the first deck waiting for their captain to return from the med-bay with Celine. Everyone was still well on guard, keeping a distance from Sei. It also didn't help that Sei now carried the katana Gin dropped earlier in the fight. The katana was propped horizontally on Sei's knees, and with his arms crossed as well, the man gave off an intimidating aura.

"I mean you no harm now that the Grenadine boss is dead."

"Why exactly did you turn on your nakama?" Kane asked.

"Did Celine beat you?" Penguin called from across the room.

"… No, I almost killed her."

"You what?" Kane exclaimed.

"I had her heart in my hand, and I was going to yank it out."

"Not cool," Ryuu grunted. "And Law let you off?"

"Seems like it," Sei looked at him. "He's also going to treat my illness."

The boys exchanged looks. Not only has Law let him live after he almost killed Celine, but now he was going to treat him too? It seemed a little too far-stretched. No one has actually seen Law since they got back; they had taken Sei's word for it and came back with him. Everyone grew uncomfortable as they realized the same thing.

"… I'll go check up on the captain," Kane stood up.

"Wait no!" Shachi cried. "I want to go!"

"Don't be ridiculous, something so little can be done by me!"

Shachi, Penguin and Jonah all began scampering for the door. It was a little embarrassing how afraid they were of Sei. Kane sighed as he sat back down next to Sei.

"I'm going! I'm going!" Penguin cried, shoving past the two. "I'll go check up on-."

"That's not necessary."

Law came from the dark stairwell, almost scaring the living daylights out of Penguin. The captain surveyed the room dully, but gave a knowing smile towards Sei.

"Celine's just fine, everyone," he sat on a free seat. "And I hope you've all been treating Mister Sei well."

"Mister Sei, you mean the guy that tried to kill Celine?"

"He had his reasons," Law gave Ryuu a glance. "I understand fully why he did what he did."

"I'm going to check up on Celine."

"She's in her bedroom," Law watched him go.

Ryuu headed downstairs and through the still corridor. It took no genius to guess that Ryuu was upset; if it were he in Law's place, he would have killed Sei without a second thought after his attempt on Celine's life.

Entering her bedroom for the first time, he saw her small figure lying on the bed. Like Law had said, Celine was still out cold. As he got closer, he saw the Kairoseki necklace was placed on the nightstand next to her bed. He picked the chain up and watched the gem dangle.

Law hasn't spoken to Ryuu about it, but he knew that Law was aware of his feelings towards Celine. Placing the Kairoseki carefully into Celine's open palm, he slowly reached his other hand towards her cheek. Unluckily for him, the door creaked open just as he was about to touch her; he froze immediately and turned to the door, in fear that it was his captain.

"What are _you _doing here?"

"Here to pay my respects."

"Don't speak as if she's dead," Ryuu frowned as Sei stepped into the room.

"It wasn't my intention to offend you," Sei took notice of the chain in her hand. "… Who is she to you?"

"Just a friend."

"Really?" he picked the pendant up. "… She's with your captain right?"

"Yeah – they say otherwise, but we all know better."

"… Is it true that she can kill you with just her touch?"

"Well I'm sure you've experienced for yourself," Ryuu shrugged.

"… She told me so too," he murmured, dropping the chain over her covers. "That's so convenient."

"Convenient for what exactly? Killing?"

"No," he shook his head. "Convenient for me."

Ryuu eyed him warily; it was the first time he saw the need to be so protective of Celine since all other times Law's got it covered. But this time around, it was Law letting this murderer walk freely around on their submarine. If Law wasn't going to do anything then he'll have to.

"Why are you glaring at me?"

"I'm still trying to figure you out," Ryuu crossed his arms.

"Hm? Well by all means, ask away," Sei hummed. "I'm sure you have questions, and I'll be happy to answer them."

"… Okay, what's up with that katana? It's not even yours, right?"

"I keep it for sentimental reasons."

"Was it yours?"

"No… I'm not quite sure why but I feel attached to it."

"… Okay…" Ryuu accepted his answer with a light shrug. "You're a weird guy, you know that?"

"I do recall being called that before."

"Yeah? Well, whatever," Ryuu picked up the chain, placing it back on the nightstand. "We should leave Celine to rest."

"Hm… I agree."

* * *

**This is kind of short because I decided to split up the chapter. The next chapter will be a flashback type of deal based around Sei.**

**Do review on this one too! :) Tell me how you liked the fight scene and development! **


	13. A Fallen Angel

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Thirteen: A Fallen Angel (Flashback)**_

* * *

The ocean breeze was dense and cool, that could only mean that a storm was coming to Amaretto. It'll hit either later this afternoon or at night, either way, Sei needed to find some shelter before it arrives.

Climbing off the stone fence, he headed towards the dark alleyways in which he was too familiar with. It was difficult living as an eleven-year-old orphan boy on an island such as this.

For starters, the alcohol and lewd women were all too much for any normal young boy. The narrow streets were cold and unfriendly, providing little to no protection for the homeless. As well as the fact that there were almost no other children on the island; everyone was a capable adult that couldn't care less about a street child. Then there were the local mafia, the power on the island were split into two families – the Saronnos have always had full control over the island, but because of the newcomers they've been having some problems keeping their influence. Gang wars were common all over, making the streets even less safe.

It was a difficult life, but Sei's been alone for as long as he can remember and he has scraped by making a living out of pickpocketing and thievery. It wasn't honest work, but there were no other opportunities open to him.

"Watch where you're going, brat!"

"Sorry."

The young man may have been annoyed by Sei's little shove, but he's going to be even more upset after realizing his wallet is missing. Going through the man's leather wallet, he found a thick wad of cash.

It must have been Sei's lucky day. With this much money, he could easily buy himself a cheap room for tonight's storm and still be able to eat for weeks. With a small smile, he tucked the wallet in his worn-down trouser pocket and carried on walking in search for an inn.

"Hey! Brat!"

Sei felt himself being lifted off the ground. A large hand held onto his shirt, leaving him feeling defenseless hanging off the fabric.

"Yes?" he said. _'Play it cool. Play it cool.'_

"Where's my wallet, you little thief?" he snarled. "I'm in a hurry here, so just return it and we won't have a problem."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're not a bad liar, kid, but drop the act," the man shook him a little. "I know it's you, so just give it up."

Occasionally, things like this will happen. He'd make a little mistake and be held at the mercy of another person. Being a lot littler than the men he's used to robbing, he knew he stood no chance against them… especially when this guy carried such a posh looking katana. So he didn't the only thing he could – run.

Before the man knew it, the little thief in his hand had slipped out of his grasp and ran down the street. It was almost impossible what the boy did, he was certain that he had a firm grip on the boy's shirt.

"Come back here!"

Sei ignored the angry voice mixed with the heavy footsteps and carried on running. After doing so much already, he'd be dead for sure if he got caught.

Looking back over his shoulder, he saw that the men still hasn't given up. Understandable, with the amount of money he just lost. Without realizing as he was too busy watching the man, Sei took a wrong turn and ended up at a dead end.

"Ha!" the man cried. "Where you gonna run to now?"

Little did he know that the boy still had a trick up his sleeve – a very good one at that.

As Sei neared the wall, he closed his eyes in fear if it wouldn't work. With eyes shut and teeth clenched, Sei ran full speed ahead. The man watched in both shock and horror, he stopped running immediately and instead started calling for the boy to stop.

"Oi! Kid!" he yelled. "Stop it!" Stop running! I don't need my money back! Just don't go trying to kill yourself!"

But he didn't stop; the boy kept running as if his life depended on it. When the boy was inches away from the wall, the man shut his eyes to save him the shame and pain from watching a young boy get hurt.

After a few silent seconds, the man opened his eyes in confusion. No sound came, no whining was heard, and no thump was felt landing on the ground. In fact, the boy seemed to have disappeared completely – vanished off the face of the planet. He examined the area carefully before leaving, for all he knew the kid could just be hiding somewhere in the trash piles, but he didn't find a trace of the boy.

It was strange and curious, but he got a feeling from the pit of his stomach that the boy was trouble. Perhaps it was meant to be, to have his wallet stolen by a phantom boy. A lot worse could have happened to him if the boy really was a ghost, maybe he was in fact lucky that he got away with just being robbed.

Giving up on chasing the boy entirely, he returned back to the town square where his family should be waiting for him. Nearing the square, a strange sight met him. Standing along with the rest of his family was none other than the boy from earlier. He had a bright bruise on his forehead, and stood with his arms crossed and a small frown.

"Dad!"

"This was the squirt that stole from you, right?" Toni held up a familiar black wallet. "Saw him running around a corner, fumbling with this. Take better care of your things, Ren."

"Hai-hai," Ren caught the wallet. "What are you planning to do with the little brat?"

"I'm not sure yet," Toni glanced down at the child. "How old are you?"

"Eleven," he huffed back. "But don't think it means you can look down on me!"

"Hm," Toni rolled his eyes. "He's a year older than Gin. What do you think, Soph?"

"Well…" Ren watched Sophie pick Sei up. "He's rather cute, isn't he?"

"Let go! Let go!" the young boy kicked and flailed. "Let me go, you devil woman!"

Toni and Ren snorted simultaneously, father-son style. Sophie gave the boy a terrifying grin, and then turned to her husband and son.

"What was that?" they could feel anger oozing from the smiling woman. "Did you boys say something?"

"Not at all!" Ren laughed it off sheepishly.

"Of course not, sweetie," Toni held her shoulder.

"Thought so," she smiled. "Now… about this boy, we're going to take him in."

"What?" Gin shouted from below. "No! No! No! Make him go away!"

"Stop that, son," Toni murmured, ignoring the boy's little fists ramming against his leg. "Are you sure about this, Sophie?"

"Yes," she nodded. "We've got the space, money, and time. Plus, this is no island for a young child to be wandering on his own. What's your name?"

"…"

"Oh, just tell us," Ren grinned as he placed a hand on the boy's head. "I'm Ren, there's Gin and Olive down there. Our dad, Toni and our ma, Sophie. Tell us yours."

"… Sei."

"Welcome to the family, Sei!" Sophie grinned.

The boy looked around at each of his new 'family' members. Gin stuck his tongue out at him, but apart from him everyone gave him warm smiles. For the first time in his life, he felt loved. Like he belonged. He's got parents, siblings, and a home. It was everything that he could have asked for.

"T-Thank you," Sei's cheeks blushed a dark pink. "And sorry for trying to rob you, Ren-san."

"You're forgiven!" Ren patted the boy. "We were just about to have lunch. So let's get going!"

Sophie placed him back on the ground and led the group through the busy square. To his surprise, Toni gave him a quick pat on his shoulder before walking ahead to join his wife. Everyone began to follow slowly. It felt watching a scene from a story – except, this time, he was part of it. They've included him. His story was just beginning.

**XoXo**

"You look paler than yesterday."

"You think so?"

Sei looked over his arms and legs, and realized that Ren was right. His tanned skin had been fading over the last few months, and now it looked as if he's gone lighter a few shades. Funny thing, it wasn't just his skin; even his hair has been growing lighter. It was something that Ren caught on a year ago, and through the year he's been getting paler and paler.

It was Gin's fifteenth birthday, and a large party was being thrown in the boy's honor. New suits have been bought for the boys; Sei's been having troubles with his buttons lately, so he's needed his brother's help. It wasn't as if Sei's always had problems with putting on his own clothes, but recently he can't seem to get anything to coordinate. His fingers were shaky and his mind was hazy.

"We should probably get you a doctor or something," Ren sighed. "I can't keep helping you with this. I'll speak to dad after the party."

"Okay."

"Oh, lighten up," Ren patted the boy's forearm. "It won't be so bad. I hear those cute girls from down the road were invited."

"And I bet they'll all go for you," Sei pulled his socks on. "As usual, Ren-san."

"That's not true!" Ren chuckled. "And we're brothers, you know? The 'san' is unnecessary."

"Hm…" he nodded, slipping on his shoes. "Laces?"

"Oh no," Ren turned away, reaching for his katana. "I've got to go now to help with mum, so you'll have to deal with it on your own."

"But… Ren… my laces."

"I'm late," Ren whined. "I'll save some girls for you later, alright? Bye!"

Sei grumbled as he fiddled around with the strings in his hands. Left, right, push, tug. The strings came undone again. Today was really not his day; nothing seemed to be going right.

Kicking off his shoes with a loud grunt, he stuffed his socks into the soles and left the room with the laces in hand. Thankfully nothing was needed from him for the day, so it'd be at least a few hours before Sophie or Toni find him walking around barefoot.

Skillfully avoiding the reception hall, Sei snuck out towards the back door. He's always been quiet on his feet, but now that his shoes were off he moved even quicker. He overheard Sophie and Toni in the pantry arguing about something. It didn't sound like it was anything about him; thinking it over, it was probably just something that has gone wrong for the party.

There was still time before the party for him to hang around town before having to come back in time for the party. In fact, Gin may have preferred it if he didn't come back at all.

Even though five years have passed since he's been taking into the Grenadine family, not much as changed about the island. The streets were still filthy and littered with drunkards. Reaching the town square, Sei saw Olive with her little group of friends speaking with the other local boys.

Olive has gotten larger over the few years he's spent with them. Once upon a time, she was a little girl that could have been skinnier than Sei in his pathetic street-boy state, but now she was almost twice his side. Though in her defense, he was stick-thin compared to other boys.

"Oh, lookie!"

One of her friends caught him from the corner of her glossed eye.

"Isn't that Sei?"

It wasn't common knowledge that two thirds of the Grenadine children disliked Sei; Gin was mad at his parents for taking in another boy that was older him, where as Olive just followed whatever her older twin said.

"Yeah," Olive eyed him.

Sei could almost hear her shouting for him to leave if he listened hard enough. He was about to turn and leave but another one of her friends ran over. A small arm linked around his, and pulled him over.

"… I don't think this is such a good idea…" he whispered to the girl.

"Hey, don't worry about it," she winked back.

Standing completely silent in front of these teenagers, Sei shifted slightly. He was highly inexperienced with these kinds of situations. The only social interactions he really has nowadays are with the older half of the Grenadine family. He much preferred speaking with adults anyway, they had a more refined way of thinking and didn't waste their time doing stupid things… like hanging around the dim town square.

"Why are you carrying your shoes around?" Olive glanced to his feet distastefully. "Very gross."

The usual jabs and taunts were coming, and like always, Sei just shrugged it off whilst sticking a hand in his pocket. Unbeknownst to him, all of Olive's littler friends had crushes on him, and that little move was enough to make them swoon.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Olive shot her friends looks. "We're busy, you know."

"Doing what?" Sei tilted his head.

"… Things."

"Alright then," Sei turned away. "I'm going now."

"Wait! Don't go yet Sei-san!"

"… I've got things I've got to be doing," he gave them a brief glance. "Bye."

Sei tore his arm away from the girl's and headed towards one of the alleys. Being adopted into the local mafia meant that you must be worth their time. No one else has ever been brought into the Grenadine family, and that feat alone made Sei somewhat of a local celebrity. He may be even better known than Toni and Sophie's actual children.

Walking around the slums in which he grew up in calmed him. Conditions may have been better off with his new family, but it still didn't feel like home. Sophie, Toni and Ren had accepted him in a heartbeat, but Olive and Gin made it sure that he never felt at home.

Occasionally Sei would try to think back to how he even got on the island. If he was born here, or brought here; but whenever he thought too hard, his head began to ache. Like now; as he thought back to the day he met Ren and his family, a throbbing was growing at the back of his head.

"Hey boy…" an old homeless geezer called. "Those are nice shoes, there. You planning to wear them?"

"Don't think so," Sei held the shoes up. "I can't do my laces."

"You don't know how?" he snorted.

"No," Sei said. "I know how, I just can't do it."

"You don't say…" the man rubbed his chin. "Hey, why don't we do a trade? Your leather shoes for me clogs."

"Let's see."

The man pulled his trousers cuff up. The clogs were dull and dirty but looked well worn.

"Where are they from?"

"Me dad's."

"Are you sure you want to trade away something left behind by your father?"

"Sure."

"… Okay."

Sei passed the leather shoes over as soon as he kicked off his clogs. The clogs were two sizes too big for him but they were convenient; with just a slip of his feet and he was wearing them.

"Thanks kid."

With the clogs secure on his feet, he stalked away back down the street. With every footstep there was a click from his feet, it was annoying but it'd make it harder to sneak about.

Returning to the town square where he was just at some new people has joined Olive and her group. They were suited men, but none that Sei's ever seen around the bar or mansion. That meant they must be Saronnos.

Olive's eye met with Sei's, and the look she gave was asking him to come over and sort things out. As little he liked her, if he didn't help out and the rest of the family finds out about his treachery… he'll be dead without a second thought from Toni.

Keeping in mind that he was outnumbered six-to-one, Sei carefully approached the men in black. No surprise, they heard him coming from the clicking on his feet.

"Oh, if it isn't the Grenadine's guard dog," one of them crossed his arms. "We're not causing any problems. You can move along."

"That's not true, Sei," Olive called. "Get rid of them."

"Now, missy, are you trying to get us mad?" he turned to Olive. "We were just asking about the party going on tonight."

"Which is none of your business," Olive snapped. "Leave us alone."

"Look here, you Grenadine brat," he scowled. "Your family is still new meat, you're nothing on this island. If you keep running your mouth-."

"Don't insult us," Olive frowned. "Five years ago that might have been the case, but now we've got more influence than all you Saronnos."

It was true, but she didn't have to put it that way. By saying so, she's probably angered them more. Olive was oblivious to her rudeness, and reliant on Sei for protection. She had some decent skill in combat, but she would be swept away by these Saronnos men.

The ringleader of the group gave an animated growl as he pulled his fist back, but he was going much too slowly for Sei. In his perspective, the man might as well been moving in slow motion.

Sei easily deflected his punch away from Olive and knocked him over with a quick kick in his stomach. The man flew back a few feet and landed square on his face. The men braced themselves, knowing that they've messed with the wrong person.

Moving swiftly, Sei knocked out another before two men grabbed a hold of him from behind. The grip on his arms were stiff and unforgiving, if they had pulled harder they would have broken Sei's arm.

"Look here, we're not really looking for a fight-."

Before he could finish what he was saying, Sei slipped out of their grip as if by magic. One second he was secure in their hands, the next he was stood in front of them rubbing his sore shoulders.

"I don't negotiate."

The men flinched when Sei started to approach them. A dark shadow loomed over Sei's bright eyes; it was frightening just watching his lips curl into a smile.

"Go Sei!" Olive cried. "Kill them all!"

Sei did exactly what he was told. He went for the ones that were already down, grabbing whatever weapon they had on them and using it on their owners. Tossing aside the last katana he had used to stab through an unconscious man, Sei now looked towards the shivering men who have backed up into a corner.

Each man held a gun in hand, and when Sei was at a close enough proximity they open fired at the man until they ran out of rounds. Almost as if it were a miracle, none of their bullets hit him or so much as scraped him.

"H-Hey, you monster! You ate a Devil Fruit, right?"

Sei ignored their shouts as he advanced on them. It was a little pitiful how these grown men (maybe twice his age) were shaking and tearing up in fear of him.

"Enough! Enough! I give!" one of them surrendered his hands up, tossing his pistol forward. "Please, let me go!"

Picking the gun up, Sei pinpointed at the man. He's never been a good shot, but from this distance it's hard to miss. The man crawled into a ball as he whimpered under his breath.

"Sei?"

The stern voice broke his concentration. Sei froze immediately and dropped the gun. Turning back, Sei saw that Ren had his katana drawn as if he were about to fight too.

"I'm sure they've had enough," Ren nudged the dropped pistol with his shoe. "Let's go back now, shall we? That means you too, Olive."

"… Hai onii-san."

Olive, along with her friends, gathered their group and left the town square, heading back to the Grenadine mansion. The Saronnos saw this as an opportunity, and bolted straight from the scene.

Giving a long sigh, Ren tossed the hilt back to his sheathe and examined each man that Sei had killed.

"So…" He stood up. "Those are cute shoes."

"I traded the lace up ones," Sei shrugged his hand off. "Why did you stop me?"

"I trust that whatever reason you had for starting a fight them was a good one," Ren told him. "And it's alright to kill, but we don't need too many unnecessary deaths on our hands."

"These people are our rivals."

"That makes things more dire – because they're our rivals, now they'll find someway to make us compensate for the lives you took today."

"… I'm sorry."

"Hey, don't worry about it!" Ren broke out into a grin, stepping forward and tapping him on the head. "You're still a little squirt, so I forgive you!"

"Uh… Ren-san…"

"Hm?"

"… You're on my toes."

**XoXo**

Two months after large-scale birthday party to commemorate Gin turning fifteen, on a chilly winter morning Sei collapsed during his morning training sessions with Ren. Scarily, the boy had turned even lighter, with his hair looking like it's been bleached and skin pale as if he's never seen sun before.

Later that week two days after Sei's collapse, Ren and Toni found themselves in Sei's bedroom watching Sophie cradle the unconscious boy. On her lap was a small wooden box contained a medium vial of clear liquid and a needle.

"I'm telling you," Toni sighed. "This is the only way – my doctors said if he doesn't take it soon then he'll die."

"You can't actually be serious, Toni," Sophie glared hard. "Those drugs are nothing but a temporary solution, not to mention they'll mess up his head. I won't allow it."

"What else would you have me do?"

"Find better doctors!" she cried, causing Ren to wince. "I will not have Sei grow dependent on some poison that will rot him through the years!"

"Why is it that you care so much about what happens to a street child?" Toni grabbed her arm. "He's not even our child! Who cares what happens to him?"

"How dare you!" Sophie smacked him, pulling her other arm free. "I've considered him my child the whole time he's been with us. I can't believe you'd say something so ignorant!"

"Ma…" Ren walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Dad's doing the best he can… this all caught us by a surprise, so let's just-."

"Be quiet, Ren," she hissed. "This was not a surprise, we saw it coming a mile away, and yet we let it get this bad. So bad to the point that he collapsed! And whose fault is that? Your father's! He didn't listen when we went to him!"

"Uh-."

"Well if I'm to blame for everything maybe I shouldn't bother!" Toni headed to the door. "Mothers know best, right? Why don't you go sort this out yourself?"

The door slammed soundly, leaving a hollow echo in the room. Sei's finger shifted slightly in Sophie's hand, but he didn't move further than that.

"This can't do…" Sophie rubbed her eyes. "What should we do, Ren?"

"For starters, you need some rest, ma," he reached for her again. "Sei's not going anywhere and we still have time. I promise to head out tomorrow to look for some doctors. Our ports are so big, there's bound to be some scholars or doctors on the island."

"And I'll come with."

"Don't be silly," Ren shook his head. "Dad will get mad."

"Does it look like I care anymore?" she eyed him. "Currently, your father and I aren't great. So he's not going to stop me from leaving the house."

"… Okay then."

**XoXo**

A week after they started injecting the drug into Sei, he woke up for the first time in almost three months. Maids gasped and dropped their trays with a loud clutter as they ran out of the bedroom screaming for the boss.

Sei groaned as he tried to lift himself off the mattress. Looking forward, he saw his arm over the covers, and his blue vein was bulged out grossly. Eventually he pushed the covers off and sat up slowly.

Someone else reached the bedroom first. Gin ran into the room and gave Sei the strangest look that he's seen on him.

"Y-You…"

"What's going on?"

"Don't ask questions, but brace yourself. My dad is not happy with you."

"… Where's Ren-san?"

"Don't talk about him!"

The first thing he's greeted with was Gin yelling at him, there was nothing unusual about that, but the fact that he warned him was something notable. Turning to his nightstand, he saw a single wooden box sitting next to his lamp.

"What's this?" he picked it up.

"The medication they've been giving you… I'm not really sure what it is."

He brought the box closer onto his lap and opened it up. A little jar and pointy needle fit snugly next to each other in the velvet casing.

"He's awake?!"

Toni voice boomed from outside the bedroom. Angry footsteps and more cluttering were heard before the man arrived at the room. To his surprise, Toni had his revolver drawn and was aiming the barrel directly at Sei.

"So you're finally awake," he huffed. "Get out, Gin."

Gin did as his father told him, and scampered out without a second glance at Sei. Now with just the two in the room, Sei eyed the gun beadily then turned to look at Toni.

"You know, Sei. I had every mind to leave you to die in your sleep, but I thought that would be too easy for you," Toni's finger hovered over the trigger. "So I decided to nurse you back to health… then to kill you."

"Why are you trying to kill me, Toni-san?"

"… My wife… and my boy," Toni's voice cracked. "They were killed earlier this week… by Saronnos' men."

"…"

"Even though we already had doctors, they were out gathering information on anyone that would have been able to cure you," he carried on. "They were ambushed by a group of twenty-something. I wasn't there, so I'm not sure what happened exactly. But Ren fended off a few before they overpowered him. I'll save you the gory details, Sei, but this is your fault."

"Why were they out looking to save me if you were capable of nursing me back to health?"

"… Sei… Look son," Toni placed the revolver back on his belt. "I don't actually want to kill you… I really don't… but I lost my wife and my son… in return for you. Is it true that the Saronnos have a grudge against you?"

"I killed a few of their men because Olive-san insisted."

"And of course, she conveniently leaves that part out…" Toni muttered. "Alright, Sei. I'll let you live, but you'll go and bring me the Saronnos boss' head. Got it?"

"I was going to do that anyway, with or without your consent." Sei placed the box back in its place. "How long will it be until I can leave bed?"

"About another week," Toni said. "But we don't want to wait too long and have the Saronnos grow suspicious."

"Then I'll go now."

Sei flipped the covers off and forced his legs over the mattress onto the floor.

"Take Ren's katana."

"Where is it?"

"It's with Gin right now, but I'll ask him to hand it over."

Sei winced slightly when he got onto his feet. The door clicked open and Toni headed out through the door.

"Take another dose of the drugs before you head out – you'll need it."

Toni gave him one last glance before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.

Everything was such a blur to Sei. His last thoughts before he passed out were focused entirely on training with Ren, and now after waking up they're saying he's dead. It all seemed too unreal for him. But if his brother and the woman that took him in were indeed killed by Saronnos, then he'll gladly step up to take revenge for Toni.

**XoXo**

"This is not good – there's one hell of a monster heading here."

"One of the Grenadine's men?"

"The guard dog."

"I thought he was out of action."

"Well that's obviously not the case anymore… I'm certain it was him."

On the far side of Amaretto, the Saronnos were placed in a large worn mansion. As a result of the rivalry between them and the Grenadines over the years, what remained of the Saronnos were pushed back to the dark clearing where no man would ever tread.

Phil, who was now head of the Saronnos after his father's death, was watching cautiously from his office's window. From where he stood, there had been no sign of the guard dog or any signs of abnormalities. But he trusts his men's' word more than anything, and if they said he was coming, and then he really must be coming.

It was he that gave the order to strike whichever Grenadine they find on the streets, but he never expected them to hit someone so high up in the family – two of them, in fact. It was never his intention to madden Toni C. Grenadine so; he just wanted them to pay for taking his men and almost killing him those weeks ago.

On that day at the town square, Phil was sprawled on the ground merciless against the guard dog's gunpoint. If it weren't for Ren then he would have been dead right there on the spot. After that incident he had a certain surreptitious liking for Ren, but because he was the heir to his rival family he shook away all thoughts of thanking him and just fled.

"Are you the head?"

Turning around on his chair immediately, he saw the guard dog with his katana drawn and his eyes dark and adamant. Blood dripped off the edge of the blade, and he left a trail of red from the door. He was quiet, silent even; he hadn't even heard the door squeak or creak.

"Yes."

"I recognize you."

"… Yes, I was the man you were going to kill back at the town square."

"It seems you were really destined to die by my hands."

"Before you get on with whatever it is, please hear me out," Phil stood up. "I really didn't mean to kill Sophie and Ren Grenadine. It was an honest mistake on my part; I was only hoping to get even for the lives of the men you took. They had families and friends too, you know? I couldn't let their lives go to waste-."

"You shouldn't have killed my voice of reason…"

Sei tossed the katana aside as he kicked the wooden desk out of the way.

"You shouldn't have killed Ren-san and Sophie-san…"

Before Phil realized, his heart was being held by Sei. He gave the organ one hard squeeze before yanking it out. The heart in Sei's hand carried on beating for five seconds before it stopped completely.

Placing the heart neatly over Phil's stained chest, Sei picked up the katana again. He's left some men alive on his way in, now the only thing left to do was to make sure no one ever utters the name 'Saronnos' again.

* * *

**Okayy… so that's basically one chapter put into two! I just can't format the thing right to put it into one :P Hope you guys enjoyed this!**

**As usual thank you to everyone that alerted and favorited this story :)**

**Reviews:**

NamikazeMia – thank you! :D

the everchanging – haha glad you liked it, I had fun writing it xD

Girl-luvs-manga – thank you! I admit those are hard to write and I hope you liked it! she sort of half won? She didn't die, so let's say she won ;)

wasabi-sama – haha, and here you are! He's joined (partially)

xxOMGgalxx – she didn't quite pull through did she? At least she did some butt kicking before she lost conscious :P

Shiningheart of ThunderClan – haha, I loved your review xD I'm somehow glad that my fic is giving you those sort of reactions :P Law and Ace having a fight… man that would have been like the ultimate fight for me! Law and Ryuu, yes, I can see that happening in future chapters :P

OkamiXaia – I'm glad you like it! :D

10th Squad 3rd Seat – Yeah… poor Celine, and hell yes she deserved it after all that annoying pestering xD

ladeste – Thank you, and I hope you liked all the action in these two! :)

Aiko Yamazaki – hehe, I did my best with updating this time xD I hope my speed and efficiency were up to par! :P

Noitalapsi – haha, I'm glad you think so! I hope you're enjoying these new developments!

asdfghjk (guest) – thank you!

Kyoya kumo – done and done! :)


	14. Ascent

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Fourteen: Ascent**_

* * *

Celine remained unconscious for three days straight. Law made daily checkups, and much to everyone's relief, she was fine every time he checked. Whilst she was out, the crew had decided to leave Amaretto since the log pose has set and to avoid a nasty encounter with Olive, who was now the only Grenadine left.

Along with their victory over the Grenadines, they gained Sei. Though it wasn't in the majority's favor, Law had accepted Sei into the crew for the time being. Other than Law making his morning and evening checkups on Celine, he's remained in the med-bay with Sei the rest of the time.

When Celine woke up on one stormy night, she forced herself out of bed and dressed accordingly before rushing to look for someone – anyone really, anyone that can tell her what happened. One second she was about to die, and the next she's waking up in her bed.

Checking the dining hall first, she saw Bepo fast asleep at one of the tables. Deciding she better not disturb him, she chose to look somewhere else. If they were moving, then it meant that Ryuu was steering the submarine from the observation deck. If it's as late as she thought it is she might as well go see him and avoid bothering anyone else.

Even under the sea, the storm was hitting them pretty well. The sub shook every few steps Celine took, and she almost fell over when she reached the stairwell. Holding onto the staircase railings for support, Celine waited for the turbulence to pass. Once the shaking stopped, Celine headed up the stairs.

"Oh? Fancy meeting you here."

Looking back, Celine almost stumbled backwards again when she recognized the pale man. The colour drained from her face so quickly that she might as well have been his shade. Sei was passive to her melodramatic reaction.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "… Why are you alive?"

She thought that if she was alive, it could only mean that someone had defeated Sei in her place and saved her. But that doesn't seem the case; he looked as if he's been staying on the submarine for a while, and not to mention he was coming from Law's deck.

"Your captain invited me to stay," he replied. "He's still awake down there if you want him, I'm sure he'd be happy to see you up."

With that, Sei stepped past Celine and headed towards the crew quarters. Celine watched him go unblinkingly; the man that she was fighting with, the man that tried to kill her, he was right here on the same ship as her. There wasn't even a way off if she wanted to as they were sealed in the metal tin can.

Hurrying along downstairs, Celine hoped to find Law to sort this whole mess out. Luckily for her, Law was just standing by the aisles when she reached the med-bay.

"Celine!" he seemed genuinely happy to see her. "How are you feeling? I didn't expect you to awake so soon."

"I feel fine," she nodded along. "… I ran into Sei-san on my way… why is he here?"

"That's something we can leave for the morning," Law shook his head as he pulled an arm around her. "I want to have a checkup on you."

"No," Celine tried to pull herself free from him. "_That _is something we can leave for the morning. I want to know why the man that almost killed me is here, on our ship."

"Fine," Law sighed. "But at least let me check your heart first. Your heartbeats have been irregular these past few days, I just want to make sure you're safe from any cardiac illnesses."

"Alright then."

Law pulled her into his office, and instructed that she pull her sweater off as he went to retrieve his stethoscope. Under her sweater, she wore nothing but her underwear and a thin t-shirt. It wasn't that she was embarrassed in front of Law; it was just a lot colder down here compared to the rest of the submarine.

The cool metal of the stethoscope glided over the area above her breasts, giving her goosebumps all over. Once finding the right spot, Law placed the chest-piece on the skin just above the hem collar of her shirt.

"Deeps breaths."

Celine did as she was told. Taking deep breaths in and out. Law listened intently and watched her chest rise and fall. She shifted slightly under his fervent gaze on her chest.

"… Law?"

"Mm… everything sounds alright," he recovered quickly, pulling the apparatus off. "If anything hurts, you'll come straight to me. Understand?"

"I got it," she nodded back. "Now will you tell me?"

"Go take a shower first."

"What?" she frowned. "There's no need for that. Just tell me why-."

"Celine, I consider you not only my crewmember but also my patient," Law told her. "And I'm keen on taking care of my patients."

"I hope this isn't some ploy in trying to stall me."

"I assure you, it's not."

"Fine," she headed to his bedroom. "But I'm using your bathroom."

"Help yourself."

So once again, Law found himself reading one of his many books while waiting for Celine to come out of the shower. When she returned she looked rosier and less on guard than she was before. Law smiled slightly; she may have been right in suspecting that he was planning something, but she was just wrong about his intentions.

"Ah!" Celine stretched. "That was nice!"

Celine walked over to his bed and jumped on top of it. Her hair soaking through one pillow completely, she frowned a little at the growing dampness under her head. Pulling his sheets over her body, she gave a content sigh.

"This is nice, Law," she called. "You should come over."

"I would probably enjoy it better if the bed was dry," he said as he walked over. "Though I must say, having you in it makes up for the wetness."

"There you go sweet-talking again," she rolled her eyes. "Don't think I've forgotten about the Sei thing. You're lucky that I'm sleepy from the hot shower."

"I was hoping it would wear you down," he lied down next to her.

"Sneaky bastard," she mumbled, pulling him under the covers. "You're _so _lucky I find you to be the most attractive man on this ship."

"Really?" he chuckled. "This whole ship?"

"Are we getting paranoid again?" she giggled, snuggling up closer to his warmth. "I already told you there's nothing for you to worry about."

"I suppose so," he held an arm around her, pulling her close to his chest. "Celine, I don't mean to complain but can we sort your hair out?"

"Would you happen to have a dryer?"

"Not currently in this room, no."

"Then too bad~."

"There should be a few upstairs."

"… I'm not going up there," she looked up to him. "I thought I was the sick patient that you felt the need to care for?"

"Of course…" he sighed, crawling out of bed. "I'll be back. Don't go falling asleep."

"Aye-aye, Captain!"

After he left the room, Celine was having a rather difficult time trying to stay awake. Like Law had planned, the hot shower had worn her down well and the only thing currently on her mind was sleep.

Using all her effort, she sat up and rolled out of bed. She tiptoed around the bedroom looking for something to occupy herself with. She noticed a pile of books on the end table next to his armchair, picking up the first one she fell onto the plush leather seat.

It was a notebook of sorts, documenting his observations and experiments on various things. There were a few pages on the short-lived experiments he had on her; it was nothing that he hadn't already told her… he's even written a detailed paragraph on her refusal to carry on after realizing the other party felt afraid. Then she noticed the Subject Profile and almost laughed.

'_Subject name: Given name, Celine. Surname, __Cutie -__ UNKNOWN.'_

The entry was written on the night of the experiment, which was around three days after they've met; it was adorable to know that Law had thought of her that way from the start.

Flipping through to the next page, Celine stumbled onto his documentaries on the recent talks and experiments on Sei. Everything he wrote was rather vague and undetailed, it was as if Law wasn't really sure what to write. There were instances where he started sentences and the words just soon turned into lines of scribbles.

"Celine?" A light knock came from the heavy door. "Come out here."

Scrambling onto her feet, she dropped the notebook back in its place and headed for the door. Most of the lights in the med-bay have been turned off with the exception of Law's little office at the end.

"Come sit," he waved the dryer. "I'll dry your hair."

Celine almost jumped when he flipped the dryer's switch on. Ignoring the startled feeling, she walked over and sat in his chair. She felt the heat over her head and the whirring in her ears.

There was no way the two could have made any conversation with the sound coming from the hair dryer, but it was a mutual silence. Once her hair was relatively dry, he ran his long fingers down her dark hair, smoothening the strands out. After another minute or so, Law turned the dryer off and placed in on the desk.

"Let's go sleep," he patted her shoulders.

"Carry me?"

With a short sigh, Law scooped her up in his arms and headed for the bedroom. Celine held onto him closely as he kicked the metal frame shut behind them. Putting her down onto the mattress carefully, Law climbed on top of her.

"Hm? You forget something?"

"My bra, you mean?" she half-whispered. "Left it in the bathroom. I've had it on for three days, not about to put that cage back on."

"Heh," he laughed. "I meant your necklace, but I'm not complaining about your lack of underwear."

"Well aren't you just a sweetheart?" she grinned. "I forgot to take it down with me; and I'm not bothered to get it, so you keep your hands to yourself, got it?"

"That won't be difficult."

It won't. Celine was covered almost from head to toe. She wore her t-shirt and a long pair of sweats on the bottom. It'll take a lot of misbehaving from his part to get immobilized.

Celine pushed him off of her before wrapping herself under the soft sheets. Feeling a little neglected, Law reached for her. Much to her demurral, he managed to take the bundle in his arms.

"… I hope you'll listen to what I say this time," she mumbled softly. "I don't want you stiff for the whole night again."

"You say that as if that's the only way I can be stiff."

"… It's saying things like that that worries me about sleeping in the same bed with you."

"I was only teasing, Celine," he smiled. "I promise to behave tonight. If something goes wrong with your heart in the middle of the night, I'll need to be able to treat you right away."

"Thank you," she gave him a quick peck on the tip of his nose. "I appreciate it."

"I finally get one and it's on my nose?" he leaned forward. "One on the lips."

"You said you'd behave," she tried turning away.

"It's a goodnight kiss," he droned, holding her closer. "A quick one."

"Alright!" she pushed her lips on top of his. "There! Happy?"

"Thrilled beyond words."

"Ha-ha," she shifted under the material. "Let go of me, and go get the lights."

The mattress shifted as he got up. As he released her, Celine kicked the sheets off and laid them over herself properly. With a flip of a switch, the room grew dark. With her eyesight gone, her hearing grew sharp. His footsteps approaching the bed were loud and clear, the creaking of the springs of the mattress was all too suspenseful for her.

"One more thing," his arms held her from behind. "I thought…" he whispered into her ear. "When you kicked Olive into the sea… I thought that was pretty damn hot. Stupid, but very hot."

Celine's breathe hitched in her throat. He's always had a way with words, and she knew that, but this time he spoke so directly to the point and so huskily into her ear. _That _was kind of hot.

What was she supposed to say to that? Thank you? Would a thank you even cut it?

"Well… You were worth it."

"My little fits of jealousy are nothing compared to yours, right?" his chest rumbled as he chuckled. "I feel flattered that such a fine woman feels so possessive over me."

"Glad you like the attention, now please let me sleep. Goodnight!"

"Hm… good night indeed."

**XoXo**

"Celine's awake, really?"

"Saw her on my way up."

"That's great," Ryuu nodded. "If she carried on sleeping for another day or more I might have gone insane."

"… I see."

Over the time Sei's been staying with the Heart Pirates, he'd grown to know Ryuu better than rest of the crew. If he wasn't down at the med-bay with Law during the day then he'd be with Ryuu at night. He didn't find it very comfortable down at the crew quarters with rest of the boys; he got a strange feeling that they didn't want him around very much. Ryuu offered his hammock to him when he was working, so here they were.

Ryuu had been wary of Sei from the moment he met him, but after a while he saw that the guy wasn't half bad. He was a little strange, but no stranger than he was, plus the guy was mentally and physically ill. The least he could do is to cut him so slack.

"How's the cure coming along?"

"I'm not sure, Trafalgar has been experimenting with a sample of the drugs and my blood," Sei rubbed his eyes with a yawn. "He's done some initial research but can't find what's actually wrong with me."

"That's troubling."

"Yeah, I suppose."

"… But hey, our captain is probably the best doctor in the whole of Grand Line," Ryuu reassured him. "If all the normal doctors could do for you was to give you medicine, I'm sure Law can cure you completely."

"Thank you, Ryuu. That's kind of you to say so," Sei gave one of his rare smiles. "… Do you think she hates me?"

"Who? Celine?"

"Yes."

"I don't think so, why do you ask?"

"She looked at me strangely when we saw each other just now."

"Well, I guess there's no helping it. You did try to kill her the last time she saw you. Maybe you should apologize or something."

"Apologize?" he looked bothered.

"It's only common courtesy," he shrugged. "Don't worry, she's reasonable. I'm sure she'll forgive you… after you tell her what you've told me."

Sei held his gaze; he stared at the deep blue outside the window as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. Perhaps for him it was, he's never been off the island or so much been on a ship.

"I'm going to sleep."

Almost immediately after, he stood and walked towards the back of the room. Ryuu didn't have to look back, he could already tell that he's in the hammock by the shifting he heard. Turning around when he heard light snoring, Ryuu watched the man from where he sat. From what he's heard of Sei's past, there's no doubt that it was depressing and unfortunate, but there were some key things he's forgotten.

Apparently memory loss is part of the side effects with the medication he's been taking. Ryuu doesn't know what it must have been like to be alone like he has, but he does understand the feeling of wanting to be alone. Wanting everyone to just go away and leave him be.

Having Sei with the crew now meant the Heart Pirates have grown stronger by a reasonable amount, Ryuu only hoped the rest of the guys would come around soon… and that Law manages to cure him. If not, Sei's not going to last very long with the amount of drugs he has left.

* * *

The Heart Pirates had been sailing for another two days without any sight of an island. Celine, who has gotten tired of breathing the same air for close to a week, demanded that they surface for a day before going back underwater. The rest of the crew saw her logic and voted for it as well.

So now, one by one, the crew was slowly emerging from the hatch into the harsh daylight they've grown foreign to. Even though Celine was the one that initially asked for it, she was one of the last people to reach the deck.

"Oh wow," she shielded her eyes with her hand. "It's really bright out."

"What else were you expecting?" Jonah sighed. "You're the one that forced us to come up."

"I never said I didn't like it," Celine stuck her tongue out. "It's nice! I love the sun!"

It was nice indeed, a very nice change from the underwater sea that they were so used to seeing. The air was clear and had the distinct saltiness of the sea. Stretching her arms wide, Celine took a long deep breath.

"I'm telling you, the view off deck-."

"Ow!"

Ryuu didn't get a chance to finish as he bumped into something placed inconveniently outside the door. He's been speaking to Sei and wasn't faced the right way while walking backwards.

"What the hell! Don't just put your crap around like- Oh hey, Celine. Sorry bout' that."

"Why don't you watch where you're going, you dolt?"

"Shut up, who do you think was the one that-."

"This was Ryuu's fault. I apologize in his stead."

Sei stepped forward past Ryuu and into the sunlight. It surprised Celine to see the two together, but she should have expected Ryuu's unpredictability. The man had always done the opposite of what she thought he would do. Judging from his bed hair, she'd say he just woke up not long ago.

"… It's fine," Celine looked away quickly. "I-I'm going to go over there now… bye."

The two men watched Celine wobble away in the most discreet way she could pull off (which wasn't very well). As soon as she was out of earshot, Ryuu slammed his hand over Sei's chest.

"What was that? Shouldn't you be taking my side?"

"I want her opinion of me to improve."

"That doesn't mean you have to go and kiss her ass," Ryuu rolled his eyes. "Seriously, man."

"At least I'm not the one secretly in love with her," Sei smiled. "Stop worrying about me, you're the one that needs to do more ass kissing."

"Yeah? Well, shut up! I gave you my clothes!"

At the front of the deck, Celine peeked over her shoulder when she felt the floors shake. Sei and Ryuu were now engaged in what looked like a play-fight. Neither one was really trying in anything other than annoy the other.

Sei looked a lot different than she remembered, more like a human being and less like a caged animal. Also happier, much more happier than when she last saw him.

"Since when were they so close?" she whispered to Jonah.

"I'm not sure," he looked back. "Since Sei-san joined us."

"Seriously?" she almost gasped. "That's so suspicious…"

"Well, Ryuu doesn't do anything without a reason," Jonah reminded her. "I'm sure he has a good one."

"Hm… well have you spoken to him?"

"No way," Jonah shook his head. "He's way scary, and he's almost always doing with something else. The captain's been doing all sorts of tests on him, and when he's not with Captain Law he's with Ryuu."

"Speaking of which, where is Law?"

"Shouldn't you know?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh… well, you two are spending a lot of time together… I just thought you would know."

"Hm… You want me to go away, is that it?"

"What? No! Jeez Celine, you always jump to the strangest conclusions."

"I'm just teasing, Jo," she stuck her tongue out as she leaned onto the wooden rails. "What kind of place do you think the next island will be?"

"I'm not sure… I think you'll have better luck asking Sei-san."

"But…" she looked over her shoulder. "I'm not sure I want to do that…"

"He's actually pretty alright, you know."

Penguin and Shachi appeared next to her. They both shared anxious looks on their faces and refused to look Celine in the eyes.

"Y-Yeah!" Penguin nodded. "He's a really great guy! I think we really misjudged him based on the people he used to hang out with!"

"Yeah! Totally! I wholeheartedly agree!"

It was almost insulting that the two thought Celine was stupid enough to fall for their little act. Glancing over their shoulders, she saw Sei staring at them from behind Ryuu's head. The man was a lot taller than Ryuu was, and his snow-white hair stuck out like a sore thumb. It was obvious who set Shachi and Penguin up to this.

"Seriously?" she arched an eyebrow. "That's the best you two can do?"

They nodded back instantly as if they were panicked by her response. Celine sighed as pushed past the two and headed towards Sei.

"Look, I think I understand what you're doing and let me just say, threatening my crewmates into helping you isn't the way," Celine said.

"Told you…" Ryuu whispered to him.

"And you almost killed me," she added. "I don't hold it against you or anything. I'm sure Law had good reason to let you come on even after what you did and I trust in his decision. But it's just probably going to take a while before I feel comfortable around you."

Sei was at a complete lost of words; he simply nodded and watched Celine walk back towards the rest of the crew. He had truly wanted Celine to forgive him for what's he's done. She must know that he didn't actually want to fight her in the first place; he's said so the whole time.

"There you are," Kane spoke as he arrived on deck. "Law wants to see you."

"Me?"

"Yeah."

Giving Ryuu a quick look, he headed down the hatch without another word. The brothers stared at the dark stairwell, listening to Sei's steps echoing as he dwelled deeper down.

"Did Law say what he wanted?" Ryuu asked.

"Nah," Kane shrugged. "He sounded serious though."

"Hope, Law doesn't kick him out or something."

"Hm, don't think so," Kane chuckled.

The brothers eased up as they watched the crew. Celine was buying a newspaper from a passing by News Coo. How she got the money, no one knew, she probably stole it from the crews' stash considering how easy it's for her to access the captain's bedroom.

"Hey guys, check it out!" she held the widespread page. "We're in the paper!"

"Wow, she's right!"

The boys gathered around her as she read the article.

"The Heart Pirates, a relatively new pirate crew from North Blue has taken down and driven the infamous Red Snow Jareth off his island just last week. The captain, the Surgeon of Death Trafalgar Law gets a boost to his existing bounty and new member Devil Hands Celine gains a new bounty."

"That's not fair," Shachi whined. "We should get some too!"

"She was the star of the show," Kane walked over. "Of course, she'd get one."

"Hm…" she flipped through the pages. "… Guys."

"What?"

"The Shichibukai, Sir Crocodile was arrested a couple of days ago… it seems he was running a criminal organization in secret," she read on. "This was found out by the now commodore Smoker-san."

"Anything else after that?"

"Just some usual bounty raises…" she shook her head slowly. "Wait! … Monkey D. Luffy… 100,000,000…"

"Who's that?"

"Um, no one important," she passed the paper over. "Here."

Jonah, Shachi and Penguin grabbed the paper and flipped the page back to the posters of Celine and Law. Once they got a better look they began laughing over Celine's picture.

"Whoa, check it out! Pirate Hunter Zoro got a boosted bounty too!"

"Who's that?"

"The guy from East Blue!"

The guys rambled on about their fellow pirates and compared all their current bounties. Like Law said, it really did seem like a competition of some sorts. But she really didn't expect to hear the name Monkey D. Luffy so soon again. It's been around a week or so ago when Ace left, and he kept reminding her to look out for his little brother's name, she had jokingly agreed to it back then but now she felt a little startled.

"Are you alright?" Ryuu tapped her shoulder. "Looking a bit pale."

"… Just disappointed with my picture," she smiled.

"There's nothing to be disappointed about," he reassured. "It looks just fine."

Celine looked up and their eyes met. Once again Ace's words echoed in her hollow head. Thankfully, Ryuu broke their eye contact and turned away first before she started blushing.

"Thanks," she nodded quickly.

"You're welcome."

**XoXo**

Downstairs, Sei was just arrived on the third deck. Whilst staying on the ship, Sei and Law had kept a strictly professional relationship. He's already seen Law today regarding his medication, and he doesn't usually call for Sei a second time in a day. Both knew that they could gain something from the other, and that was the only reason they were working together.

"You asked for me, Trafalgar?"

"Hm, I did. How would you feel about assisting Miss Celine?"

"What's wrong with her?"

"I'm sure you know of her Devil Fruit abilities. They're dangerous and just recently she's been having difficulties controlling them – not that she was any better before."

"What are you asking from me?"

"Well I understand that your powers allow you to phase through solid objects."

"Yes, that's right."

"And from what I've heard from her, you phased straight through her when she tried to kill you. That is impressive, and something no one other than you can do. You may be the only one that can help her."

"So… You want her to practice on me?"

"Afraid of dying?"

"That's not the problem," Sei shifted. "My whole life had previously felt like an experiment, I just don't want to die in one."

"Training," Law corrected him. "I understand, but consider that this time she's won't be trying to kill you (in fact, she'll be against killing you entirely), and you've got the ability to stop your own death if she gets carried away."

"…"

"She's a fast learner?"

"Does she know about this?"

"I wanted to make sure the other party was willing first before getting her hopes up."

"Has she been waiting for a partner?"

"Not exactly," Law shook his head. "She's been waiting for me to find a way to help her. Devil Fruit powers are tricky, you should know as well as I. The only way I see for her to improve her control over her own abilities is patient practice. I've tried before with one of my crewmembers but he was blatantly afraid so she refused to carry on."

"And you don't think I'm afraid?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Law smiled slightly. "But you seem like a man that would embrace death."

"Well, I can't disagree with that," Sei nodded back, returning a polite smile. "I'll help her."

If any sane person had witnessed their conversation, they'd think the two men were completely mad. There was logic in the things they've said, but it's frightening how little they thought of life. How little Law thought of others' lives, and how little Sei thought of his own life.

**XoXo**

"And he's asked you to help me?"

"Correct."

"Why isn't he here to tell me this himself?" Celine peeked out the doorway. "This is the first time I've heard of this."

"You don't have to sound so suspicious, Celine-san," he gave a sweet smile. "I'm simply following your captain's orders."

"… So, are you not part of our crew?" she didn't budge.

"No one has said anything about that yet," Sei shrugged. "But please, I truly am just following orders, and I understand why you may feel uneasy about this but I do just want to help. I also apologize for what happened earlier today."

"Well, alright," she pulled her door open for him. "Come on in."

Unknown to her, Sei was already plenty familiar with her bedroom. While she was out cold, him and Ryuu had spent a reasonable amount of time in here whenever his friend felt the need to check up on Celine.

In all honesty, Sei couldn't understand why Ryuu feels what he does for Celine. The cons majorly outweigh the pros. Of course, Celine was easily the most appealing woman any man could ask for, but she was also with the captain of their crew and that touching her could mean sudden death.

Sudden death that he knew for a fact Ryuu didn't want to risk.

"So what's the plan?"

"Trafalgar believes the best way for you to get a better grasp of your powers is through practice."

"… So, I'm practicing on…?"

"Me."

"No way," she crossed her arms. "I'm not doing that."

"Why not?"

"You know how serious this is, right?" she frowned. "I don't want a person's death on my hands."

"You didn't seem so worried about that during our fight."

"That was different!"

"How so?"

"You threatened me and my crew! It was the obvious choice to fight back! But this is different, I don't mean to kill anyone that has proven to be an ally."

"Listen, you won't kill me. I promise you that. I was able to slip past you last time, and I can do it a second-."

"Stop right there! You got lucky that time, but this – this!" she waved her bare hands in his face. "This is not a joke, I'm not kidding when I say I could kill a person in a heartbeat. You may not have the chance to slip away next time."

"There is a very fine line between life and death, and I'm not afraid to cross it, Celine-san."

"… Why not?" she asked, her opinion of him beginning to change. "Why aren't you afraid?"

"Because people die regardless."

His words hit her like a rare cool breeze would back at home during the long hot summers. It was strange remembering home over such depressing words, but it was something her older brother had said to her when their parents passed away. _"Good people will die regardless, Cel. There's no use dwelling in the past. We've got to stay strong for mum and dad now that they're no longer with us."_ She was young then, only seven, and her life was crumbling apart as she knew it. The only family she had left with her brother and sister, and if Bernie hadn't said those stern words to her she may still be grieving now.

"I think I understand where you're coming from… but that doesn't mean you must shorten your life like this."

"I carry a disease that needs daily attention, and now without a proper supply of medication I wouldn't have much time anyway," he carried on, again with that dismal sweet smile. "So I'm happy to be of service until then."

"What are you saying?" she felt her tears brimming. "Isn't Law working on something right now? Putting aside everything you've just said, you've got a chance to be properly cured – to live again. You've got to pull through until then, okay?"

"Well you better try hard at stabilizing your powers, because I'm still helping you with your training," he said coolly, rubbing her stray tears away with his cuff. "We'll start tomorrow after lunch, alright?"

Once he's said that, he turned to leave. He said a quiet goodbye before shutting the door behind him. Celine could hardly comprehend what just happened; she just stood still shocked over his words, listening to the clicking of his clogs slowly disappearing. If his intention was to win her favor over, then he's accomplished so much more than that. She might as well have hopped onto the 'Become BFFs with Sei' train like Ryuu has.

With a sigh, Celine walked over and sat on her bed. She does remember asking Law to come up with something for her powers, but she never expected him to ask someone such as Sei to help out. She'll definitely speak to Law about this later, but for now she's got more important things on her mind.

* * *

The next day the whole crew was gathered around the dining table for lunch. Celine looked to be in a daze as she stared off into space. Everyone wondered if she and the captain got into a fight, as he wasn't present. Jonah who had brought Law his food, claimed that wasn't the case at all and the captain was just tired like he usually was. They thought different because since the two got together, Law had started making the effort to come upstairs for meals for the sake of seeing Celine.

"Celine-san?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Are you sure you're not going to eat?" Sei watched at her.

"Oh, right," she nodded, picking up her fork. "Of course."

"I heard you two are going train together?" Kane asked.

"What?" Penguin and Shachi gasped. "Wait, WHAT?"

"… I heard from Ryuu…" he pointed to his brother.

"And I heard from Sei," the brother pointed to the albino man. "… He is speaking the truth, right Celine?"

"Yeah," she nodded quickly. "We're going to start after lunch."

"Aren't you afraid?" Penguin turned to Sei.

"Not at all," he shook his head. "I'm happy to help."

"Seriously?" Shachi grinned. "I'd be scared, her powers are crazy scary!"

"Mind what you're saying," Kane warned. "She's just alright."

"Hai-hai," Shachi nodded. "Good luck with that then. I'm done, so I'm gonna leave first."

"Take your dishes with you," Jonah tapped the empty plate.

"Oh, you can handle it, Jo," he grinned. "Come on, Penguin!"

The two stood up together and scampered off together before anyone could protest. It looked like poor Jonah was going to be stuck with the dishes again. With a long heavy sigh, Jonah stood up and began gathering the dishes and cutlery.

"You guys done?" he reached for the brothers' empty plates.

"Yup," Kane nodded, passing his plate over. "Thanks kid."

"You guys really are mean," Celine stood as well. "Come on Jo, I'll help with the dishes. It's been a while since I last did them anyway."

"Will you, Celine?" he looked a tad bit happier.

"Yup," she nodded. "Sorry, Sei-san. This won't take long, if you like you can head-."

"I'll help as well."

"You will?" she couldn't help but sound surprised.

He replied with a light nod as he picked up his plate. Ignoring the look Ryuu was giving him, Sei followed the two into the kitchen.

"Thanks for the help, Sei-san," Jonah said.

"It's not a problem. And you can just call me Sei," he replied. "You too, Celine-san."

"Right, well you don't have to call me Celine-san either," she smiled lightly. "Celine's fine."

The three were content as they washed the dishes together. Celine did the washing, Sei the drying and Jonah stacked the dishes back in the cupboard, the trio made a surprisingly good team.

"Thanks guys," Jonah smiled, depositing the last of the dishes. "That was a lot quicker than if I were on my own."

"You're welcome!"

"You're welcome."

"I'll see you two later," Jonah returned their smiles. "I've got to go get Captain Law's dishes."

"You'll be fine with that?" she asked.

"Yup," he nodded as he headed for the door. "Good luck with your training!"

"Shall we go, Celine?"

"Yeah."

She knew that there was no point in trying to prolong the wait; she had already agreed to do this so they might as well start sooner. They were quiet as they walked.

"… So how do you think we should do this?" she asked as they reached the dojo. "Should we just hold hands or something?"

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

"Seriously?" she followed him in.

"What, would you rather fight?"

"… No, let's hold hands then."

They found a spot on the mats and sat down. Celine took her Kairoseki chain off and stuffed it in her pocket. It felt a little awkward to be holding the hands of a man that's practically a stranger (the man that almost became her murderer), but it was for the sake of training.

"Okay. I'll try to stop it for as long as I can but if it starts don't worry, I'll let go immediately."

"Alright," he watched as Celine placed her palms over his. "How long did it normally take?"

"Five seconds."

"Three, Two, One…?"

"As I've told you, it's been weird lately," she told him. "Just wait for it…"

The seconds ticked up slowly. Her powers were being very strange, it's been well over fifteen seconds already and still nothing's happening. Celine was about to speak when he jolted. She pulled away immediately and watched as he took deep hoarse breaths.

"Are you alright?" she asked, holding onto his clothed shoulder. "Want some water or something?"

"No, it's okay," he shook his head quickly. "It just feels really strange when you do that."

"Sorry," she grimaced.

"Nineteen."

"Hm?"

"That was nineteen seconds," he told her. "That's far longer than five."

"Well, you'd be surprised by how quickly it changes," she shrugged. "Shall we go again?"

"Yes."

**XoXo**

The two have been at it for hours already. The range between the shortest and longest was a large gap – the longest was around a minute whilst the shortest was a second. But towards the end of their session, her times have been going over the ten seconds mark.

Sei was feeling completely exhausted after having his energy drained continuously for hours. He was resting on his back while Celine was having a go at the dummies.

"Thanks for doing this," she called. "I think we're making slow but good progress."

"Hm," he sighed. "Yeah."

"Are you feeling alright?"

"Just a little worn out."

"I suppose we should only do this once every other day," she suggested. "I don't want you to get sick over this."

"I don't think it's possible for me to get _even more_ sick," he chuckled. "But yes, I agree. Having a day's gap in between wouldn't hurt."

Celine listened to his words attentively, by his tone of voice he almost sounded like he's given up. It reminded her of what he said last night; how he feels that he's time-bound by his disease. That may be more or less true at the moment, but that didn't mean he should lose hope.

"Hey Sei?"

"Yes?"

She walked over and sat next to him. He was still resting with his eyes closed, and it seemed all that training took more of a toll on his body than hers. Studying his pallor, she wondered if she should really be doing this with him. His skin was light and pale like a doll's, and his hair was a vivid snow-white. It was a little scary how much he looks like a doll, even his eyes were an unreal vibrant cobalt.

"How's progress with Law?"

"So-so," he mumbled back. "He's given me a full body check up, taken blood, sampled the meds I'm taking at the moment, and done tons of reading. He told me he doesn't know what he's working with, but he'll work something out."

"… Do you doubt him?"

"… No," he opened a dazzling eye. "… Are you worried about me?"

"Naturally," she nodded with a light shrug. "It's normal for friends."

"Are we friends now? I thought you were uncomfortable around me."

"… My thoughts have changed," she said. "After speaking to you a bit more, you really don't seem that bad of a person."

"Hm…" he shut his eyes again. "… With you that makes two."

"Two friends?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "First there's Ryuu, and now you… that rhymes, doesn't it?"

"Mm…" she watched him closely. "Have you always been this pale?"

"No," he opened his eyes. "It is a bit strange, isn't it? I think I may have been tanner than your captain when I was younger."

"No way."

"Well, I don't actually remember that well," he gave a lighthearted chuckle as he sat up. "And it's been a while since speaking to someone about this."

"About what?"

"… Myself," he replied after some thought.

It's incredible – the words that come from this man, once again Celine was stunned speechless. He may be unaware of it, but with each word he says Celine's growing more and more sympathetic to the man.

Trying to avoid his eyes, she averted her gaze away. Looking around, she noticed a tall katana resting against the pile of weights. It was definitely the sword that was with Gin when they fought, she hadn't realized it was there until now. No one on this ship could use so much as wield a sword, so that meant it must have been Sei that brought it along.

"Is that yours?"

"Yeah," he looked over his shoulder. "I don't have my own space yet, and I found out this place is almost empty all the time. You guys don't appreciate a fine dojo, do you?"

"Well, I can't deny the fact that no one comes in here unless they've really got to," she shrugged. "So, can you use that katana?"

"Sure."

"How skilled are you with it?"

"I can kick your butt, if that's what your asking."

"I don't doubt that," she chuckled. "Can you teach me? … In addition to the training you're already helping me with, I mean."

"Doesn't your captain wield a sword?"

"Yeah, but have you seen the size of that thing? I'm not going to be able to lift that." she smiled. "Not to mention he uses his with his powers."

"Well you can easily incorporate your powers with a weapon," he stood up. "I've seen Trafalgar in action and you can understand why he needs such a large sword."

"… You can?"

"Well, the larger the sword the larger area the sword covers, right?" he said. "In his case, once a target enters his room, he wants to be able to chop them up immediately without fail. So a sword a larger surface area would be ideal."

"Well, okay that makes sense," she nodded along. "Then what about you? Why do you use a katana?"

"There is no way I can use my powers with the katana but I am fast," he shrugged. "And so are you. Being fast with a blade is already a deadly skill. I also understand you don't like punching, that's not-."

"It's more like I can't punch," she corrected him. "No strength in the arms."

"Don't say that," he chuckled. "With your speed and a sharpened katana, you won't need strength."

"You think so?"

"Definitely," he replied. "I can help you with it when we're not working on your powers."

"Thanks," she agreed with a smile. "I look forward to it."

"Hm… it's about time for dinner, isn't it?" he checked his wristwatch. "Should we go?"

"Yeah, alright."

**XoXo**

After dinner, Celine made a stop at the med-bay to speak to Law with one topic in mind specifically. She found him sitting in his armchair, scribbling away in his little notebook. He clicked the cap back onto his pen when she walked in, and placed the pen and book aside.

"Good evening," she fared. "Am I interrupting your little thinking time?"

"Not at all," he smiled. "What brings you here? How was your session with Sei today?"

"Good," she nodded. "I'm actually here about Sei."

"Did something happen?"

"No, nothing happened," she reassured. "I just wanted to ask about the whereabouts you're at with his treatment."

"I see," he sighed, picking up his notebook and running through his notes again. "Not far, I've began developing the countermeasure, but it's just going to take another day or so."

"Yeah?" she sounded relieved. "That's good."

"Are you concerned about him?"

"… I think I might be feeling sorry for him," she replied. "I mean, he's dying and losing his memories. It can't get worse than that."

"Don't worry, Celine," Law walked over to her. "I'll do what I can for him. He'll be alright."

Law really wanted to believe that what he was saying weren't just empty words in order to comfort his beloved, but he was in a race against time and he knew his patient won't be lasting much longer once his medication runs out. He'll have to start working earnestly tomorrow in order to complete the cure.

* * *

**Here's chapter 14! I hope the readers that weren't sure about Sei are now convinced! He's a really nice guy - Celine sure is convinced ;)**

**Merry (belated) Christmas to everyone, and wishing you guys an early happy new year!**

**Thanks to those that favorited and alerted this story!**

**Reviews:**

ladeste – thank you! I'm glad I was able to sum up some questions hopefully this chapter helped answer some more :)

Girl-luvs-manga – wow, thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

10th Squad 3rd Seat – thank you! And they're still a little wonky but she'll definitely get them in check soon ;)

Aiko Yamazaki – Yes! Just wanted to give a bit more to Sei's character as he's going to be playing a large role throughout these few chapters :) thanks for your review!

Shiningheart of ThunderClan – I was hoping the flashback would sum up some things :) I'm glad you liked it and thank you for reviewing!

Portgas D. Paula – haha, creepy was certainly not how I was trying to portray him :P but thank you for your review and I'm glad you're enjoying the story! :D

Moonlight Calls – thank you! :)

Noitalapsi – thank you! I'm glad you thought so!

SkittlesKat – whaa, thank you! I'm really happy you like it!

UNICORNSPOORAINBOWS – haha! I'm glad you like him! thank you~

cicir – I just wanted to say that I absolutely loved reading your reviews! They brought a smile to my face! I'm glad you're enjoying my story so much! And I'm awful sorry about causing your inner fangirl to come out – forgive me? xD anyway, thank you for your reviews they really made my day :)

Oriax Ailaht – Hello OA-san! Thank you for your kind and detailed review, and happy holidays! I don't get those very often (especially for this story) so I'm really happy when I received yours! I'm very happy you like the story and OCs, I'm putting a lot of effort and both so I really appreciate it when my readers mention it! Thank you again!

**Happy holidays everyone!**


	15. Bittersweet

**One Piece**

_**The Five Second Rule**_

_**Chapter Fifteen: Bittersweet**_

* * *

The Heart Pirates had been sailing for almost two weeks before they finally neared the next island. From what Sei has heard the next island was supposedly a large tourist attraction with large amounts of bars and entertainment. In short, it was similar to Amaretto, but minus the ports making the place a lot cleaner and friendlier.

Sei has been receiving his treatment in doses. It seems a week's worth of doses once a day is needed to fully administer the cure. Before his treatment began, Sei has been working hard with Celine everyday in the dojo. Her control over her powers have gotten better, but not to the point where she should be openly walking about without Kairoseki. The record was two minutes the longest and this was achieved with only two knockouts and with only one time when Sei almost fell through the floor. Everything was moving smoothly and they made good progress.

Her sword training was a different matter though. She still had difficulty waving the blade around with fear of chopping her own arm off. Sei's been patient with her, but even the nicest people's patience run out eventually.

"It's all about finding the right balance," Sei grumbled lightly. "… Why don't we just take a break?"

"You're just sick of watching me, aren't you?"

"Basically," he shrugged. "Plus we docked minutes ago, we should be exploring the place instead of staying cooped up in here."

"Yeah, yeah," she sheathed his katana. "I'll take a quick shower first, so why don't you go see Law about your dose at the mean time? I'll come get you two when I'm done."

"Alright."

The two walked out together, but once reaching the junction they turned the opposite way. Celine stretched her arms upwards and rolled her neck backwards and forwards. Hearing a satisfying pop, she dropped her arms as she neared her bedroom. Celine picked out a dress and pulled out her bag of toiletries before heading into the showers.

Most of the crew was already gone. As usual Shachi, Penuin and Jonah were sent on groceries duty along with Bepo while Kane and Ryuu were buying extra parts for the submarine. This meant that Celine could openly enjoy her shower without fear of someone walking in on her.

She kept the shower short, and quickly dressed herself. She contemplated if she should dry her hair or not, but decided against it as Law and Sei were waiting for her. Tying her hair into a large knot on top of her head, she clipped on her necklace and headed downstairs.

The two were speaking in Law's office when she entered the med-bay. She saw them on the far side of the room and headed over. They hadn't noticed her presence and were speaking quietly. Then to Celine's surprise, Sei let out a light-hearted chuckle to something Law had said.

As he laughed, he turned away slightly to his right. It was then when Sei took notice of Celine staring at them.

"Hey," she waved a hand. "Sorry, I took so long."

"It's fine," Sei stood up. "It gave me some time to thank Trafalgar."

"Oh?" she glanced over at Law. "Is it done? This was meant to be the last dose, right?"

"Yes," Law nodded.

"Are you feeling better?" she turned to Sei.

"Much, much better than I've felt in a long time," Sei nodded a reply. "And I'm indebted to you two."

"You can save that for when the results come in," Law stood up from his chair. "It's only the first day, we don't know about the potential counter-effects and-."

"There's no need for talk like that," Celine interrupted. "Don't listen to him, Sei. I know for a fact that Law's a great doctor, and he can't do wrong."

"Hah… You flatter me too much, Celine," Law chuckled as he plopped back down on his chair. "But yes, your condition is stable now Mister Sei… at least for now."

Celine rolled her eyes at his words. It was a time for celebrations yet Law was saying such dubious things.

"I understand that you two were planning to go out," Law spoke slowly.

"Aren't you coming?"

"I'm afraid not, Celine," Law sighed. "I'm terribly tired – exhausted even. I won't be very fun to have around this evening."

"You're never much fun when we're out anyway," Celine chuckled, grabbing a hold of his hands and tugging him forward. "Let's go! You must be curious about this place too."

Putting all her strength into it, Celine did her best to pull Law off his chair. But unlucky for her, his chair had wheels on the bottom and the harder she pulled the closer his chair rolled towards her but he was still sat.

As she pulled him along, Sei took one look at Law's face and got a gist of where this was heading. With a small smile, he turned around and headed upstairs first.

"Wait, Sei, where are you-."

Just as Celine noticed the albino leave, she felt the weight on her hands lift up. Turning back around, she saw Law stood up on his feet and taking a step towards her. He snuck his arms around her lower back and pulled her close.

"You're so sly…" she mumbled under her breath. "Are the two of you in this together, or something?"

"Please," he chuckled. "Mister Sei was able to read the situation well, that's all."

"Tell me, Law," she sighed. "Why don't you want to come with us?"

"Baka…" he loosened his grip. "I'm just tired. I've been working non-stop this past week, I think I've earned the sleep I deserve."

"It's not as if I said you didn't deserve it," she smiled. "After doing so much for Sei, I'm sure you deserve more than just sleep."

"Any ideas?"

"None whatsoever," she ignored his smug grin. "Okay then, I shouldn't keep him waiting. You'll be fine?"

"Hm…" he nodded, his fingers reaching towards the pendant glistening between her collarbones. "You look really lovely today, by the way. I just had to tell you before you go."

"You really think so?"

She grinned when he replied with a brisk nod. She did look very nice today, she wore a white sundress that really complimented her bright blue eyes that resembled a lot like the jewel that hung from her neck. Law eyed the blue stone in his fingers closely.

"What's the matter?"

"It's nothing," he smiled slightly. "Take care, alright?"

"Of course," she pecked him lightly. "Sleep well."

Law yawned as he watched her go. He had originally wanted to go, but he's overworked himself these past weeks. Like Celine said, in theory Sei should have been cured but it was possible that it may not have worked. But at least he seemed to be at a stable condition. The worst has definitely passed, now all Law can do is take this time to rest and wait for results.

**XoXo**

The docks were still quite a distance away from downtown, but from here he can already hear the bustling parties and crowds. On the deck, Sei had been observing the area before Celine finally joined him. It hadn't been a long wait, but still she apologized needlessly and profusely.

"You didn't manage to convince Trafalgar?"

"No, he pulled a fast one on me," she sighed. "You may not be able to tell, but that man is sly as a fox."

"Oh no, it's not that hard to work out," Sei nodded. "He's certainly an interesting character."

'_Oh you have no idea.'_

Celine gave him a small grin as the two stepped onto the island. There seemed to be a festival of sorts going on downtown, and the streets were lit up with lanterns and light arrangements. It was the kind of loud crowded places that Law would have hated – perhaps him staying in really was for the better.

The streets were full of people, ranging from villagers to pirates and even some marines. But tonight was a night for festive and fun, no one paid mind to who the other was; everyone just danced and drank.

"Some crowd," Celine said after she stepped out of the way for a couple heading it off.

"I knew this was a friendly place but I didn't expect… this," Sei surveyed the people. "I wonder where Ryuu is."

"Maybe we can meet up with everyone else…" Celine got on her tiptoes. "Doesn't look like we'll find anyone in this crowd though."

"Good point, how about we head indoors?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

The two ducked into the closest bar only to find that the place was beyond crowded as well. The tile dance floor was completely packed, the dancers were all swaying along to the live band that were up on stage. The place had a nice atmosphere, but Celine found it difficult to appreciate with the obscene amount of people.

Looking towards her companion, she saw that their feelings were mutual. Not only were his eyes downcast, but he was frowning too.

"Look Celine," he held her shoulder and pointed towards the very back of the room. "There's Kane and Ryuu."

Following his finger, Celine spotted the brothers easily. The two sat next to each other with a group of women surrounding them, and there were two girls clutching onto their toned arms. They looked like they were enjoying it too but in their defense they looked completely out of it with sloppy grins on their faces.

Celine had always wondered if they were aware of how attractive they were, but with such a display in front of her, it was clear that they literally using their looks to get to these women.

"I say those boys have had a little too much to drink," Celine sighed.

"Shall we go join them?"

"Yes, lets."

Maneuvering their way through the dance floor they soon reached the brothers. Kane spotted them first and gave them a lighthearted wave.

"Aw Celine, you look so cute wearing that lil' dress."

'_Yup, definitely drunk,' _Celine tried hard not to roll her eyes. "Thanks Kane, and you're looking like you're really enjoying yourself."

"Oh, I am," he chuckled back. "Here have a drink, sit down and relax. You too, Sei. Come on, don't be shy! Girls, would you scoot a little over for my friends?"

The girls were happy to receive Sei, but Celine? Not so much. They made room for Sei right away and pulled him down between them, but no one so much as batted an eye at Celine. It was typical treatment, almost a little too typical. Celine wasn't one to fuss over something so little, so she was about to grab a different chair before Ryuu caught on. He picked up the girl latching onto his arm, and scooted over to make room between him and his brother.

"Over here, Celine," he called, patting on the empty spot next to him.

"… Thanks."

She quietly made her way over, ignoring the nasty looks she's getting from the other girls. It was when she sat between the brothers did she really realize how out of it they were. Their body heat can be felt from where she sat, and the hotness was overwhelming, especially with her dress that hugged her upper torso so tightly.

Glancing forward, she saw that Sei was also having a difficult time, but his situation was vastly different from hers. He was sat up straight, trying to shake off any of the girls that made advances towards him. They cooed and stroked his shoulders as if he were a prized pet.

"Here, Celine," Kane passed her a bottle of god knows what. "Good stuff here."

"What is it?" she sniffed the contents, it reeked of strong liquor.

"Not sure," he shrugged. "Where's Law, by the way?"

"Sleeping," she replied before taking a quick sip.

"On such a fine night?"

"… Yeah," she grimaced a little at the taste. "Because it's just so much fun out here."

"Snarky, aren't you?" he chuckled. "You just need a bit more to drink."

"Yeah, not this stuff," she put the bottle back on the table. "I feel like my life's been cut short a few years just by one sip."

"Really?" Sei picked up the bottle up.

"_Don't drink it," _Celine mouthed. _"It's bad stuff. Doesn't even taste good."_

Amused with her warnings, he gave her a light nod as he placed the bottle back down on the table. With everyone half-dazed; he might as well stay sober for the sake of the group.

With Celine's presence, each one of the women were starting to get up one by one. Seeing as all three men had their attention on her now, they saw no gain in sitting with them. Eventually it was down to the last woman who was holding onto Ryuu. Everyone was aware of her presence is entirely adventitious, but no one wanted to be the first to complain.

Celine kept to herself, and would only speak when responding to someone. She felt very uncomfortable under the woman's unfriendly looks; and it wasn't as if she was doing anything wrong. It was as if she was upset with her just showing up. Much to everyone's surprise Celine reached towards the bottle slowly, she picked it up and took a large gulp.

She didn't like the taste very much but at least it gave her a distraction from her environment. And it was also working well, whatever she was drinking must have been pretty strong stuff because with a single bottle Celine was already feeling lightheaded. Normally Celine was able to handle her liquor well and it was surprising that a single bottle was already able to waste her to such a state.

In no time was her head pounding and heart racing. She doesn't normally get drink so much to get drunk, so this was still a foreign feeling for her. It was warm and bittersweet.

"This sucks," she drawled out, her head toppling over onto Kane's shoulder. "My head's gone."

"Yeah, I felt like that at first but then it gets super great."

Nothing they were saying made any sense to Sei, but he watched on quietly. It was only then did he notice Ryuu – more specifically, the way he was looking at Celine. His hazel eyes were focused entirely on her, as if his world revolved around a single woman's existence. On Celine.

Sei's never loved anyone before, but he still felt sorry for the man. He can understand loving someone so perfect and sweet only to have her with someone else, and that was someone else was his captain no less, a man that he should be devoted to entirely within any circumstances.

It was wrong to think this way after all Law had done for him, but the two looked so wasted that they probably wouldn't recognize right from wrong. It couldn't have been the work of just alcohol, like they had said what they had was unidentifiable but there was probably something mixed into the drink. Plus, they probably wouldn't remember the next day.

"Hey sweetheart," Sei called out to the girl latched onto Ryuu. "What's your name?"

"Jill."

"That's a lovely name," Sei put on the best smile he could. "Why don't we step out? We're bound to find something more fun than sitting around here with these guys."

"That's not nice, man," Kane stirred. "You hurt my feelings."

"Would you like to come too?" Sei couldn't be happier with how things are going. "The three of us can go take a walk somewhere."

"What about me, Seeei~?" Celine put her hand up like a school-kid would during class. "Can I come too?"

"No," Sei gave her a stern look. "You stay where you are. Ryuu will take care of you."

"Buut-."

Before Celine could say anymore, a hand flew over hers. Turning around, she met Ryuu's eyes. His gaze was heavy, and his face was much too close to hers, but in her inebriated state she wasn't able to realize that.

"Stay with me, Cel."

"…"

From the corner of her eye, she watched the three leave without so much as a goodbye to them. Seeing that her attention was averted, his gaze followed hers. He wasn't thinking very straight but Ryuu could still recognize an opportunity when it's being handed to him on a silver platter.

He squeezed her hand tight, causing her to look back over to him. His breath inched closer towards her by every passing second. Celine's thoughts were too distorted to fully comprehend what was happening, but she knew that what she felt was completely different from the man in front of her.

Celine's breath hitched when Ryuu brought a hand to her cheek, cupping her face closer their lips finally met. For a moment, Celine let herself indulge in the man's sweet scent and flavor. In her drunken state, there were no thoughts to distract her from her primal instincts. No worrying about her time limit or her past experience with boys and touching – all there she felt was pure lust.

Reaching both her hands up, she pulled his face down towards her roughly and without hesitation. A groan escaped her lips when their tongues met, a slippery battle commenced between the two with neither wanting to back down from the fight. Her heart raced as she began to breathe heavy; Ryuu felt a knot in his stomach when Celine gripped his hair tight. The way she grew so wild and possessive, it both scared and excited him. It wasn't until she finally ran out of breath when they finally pulled away.

"I-I…" Ryuu panted as he tried to collect his thoughts. "I think I love you, Celine. I always had ever since I saw you… You're so beautiful…"

"… What?"

None of his words have processed at all; her voicing out was instead mistaken as doubt. Celine rested on his chest in a daze, the voices seemed so far away at the moment and she barely registered where she was anymore. She didn't even realize when Ryuu gritted his teeth and coiled his fingers into fists.

"… I need you… so bad… oh, this fucking sucks…"

Celine's head was really hurting now, she winced as she reached for Ryuu again. Caressing his jaw with feather light touches, she felt something strange running down his cheek… it was wet. Her mind may have been blurred but she can recognize tears when she saw them.

"Aw… what's wrong?" she whispered. "Mhmm… don't cry… I'm here… I'm here for you…"

"Screw you," he knocked her hand away. "… S-Screw you…"

The warmth beside her disappeared when Ryuu shifted forward. He stood up and left without giving her another look. Celine just watched through her hazed eyes, unsure of what exactly just happened and how she should be feeling. Her hand stung a little though, so she reached for her wrist and rubbed the pain until it turned numb.

With him gone, Celine began to shiver as she watched the crowds in front of her. What felt like hours must have passed before someone came up to her. He was a young man and was dressed a lot like a sailor. It didn't seem like he had any ill intentions, he just took up the vacant spot beside her and began speaking. Celine nodded along to his rambling, not really sure what he was saying and where he was going with this.

"You're pretty."

She caught that line loud and clear. It was something she's oh so familiar with hearing.

"I know," she murmured.

"You should take better care of yourself, you know," he told her. "You might not have realized but those men sitting a few tables next to us have been leering at you the whole time you were alone."

"Hm… Where's Ryuu?"

"Who?"

"Forget it," she forced herself onto her feet. "I'm leaving."

Navigation was definitely not a good idea for her at the moment. It was taking her every effort to just keep from toppling over. She tried to take a step but that only ended in her falling backwards back onto the cushioned seat.

"Are you alright, Miss?" a hand reached around her shoulders. "Why don't you come with me tonight? I'm sure-."

"Let her go."

The man looked up and saw a tall muscular man. He would have been afraid if the other man's eyes weren't all red and tired looking, but he still looked threatening with his size alone.

"And who are you?"

"Ryuu."

"Oh, are you her friend? She mentioned your name earlier."

"Yes. Let her go."

"Of course," he held his hands back. "Are you two tourists?"

"Yes."

"Well be careful," he warned. "This place may seem fun but it's just as dangerous as any other island. She was being targeted by those bunch of men over there just a while ago."

"… Why do you care?"

"Is it so strange?"

"… No."

"Well, I'll be on my way then," the young man smiled before turning away. "Take care of her, Ryuu-san."

Once he was out of the way, Ryuu turned to look at the men that were mentioned earlier. True to his words, like he said they were watching them intently. Giving them an unfriendly glare, he turned back to Celine. From the way she stared, it didn't seem like she remembered what happened earlier.

"Come on, Celine," he reached out a hand. "Let's get you back… Give me your hand."

When she didn't move, he reached forward and grabbed both her hands. He tried pulling her to her feet, but she wouldn't budge from where she sat. Releasing her hands, he began to wonder just what did he come back for. She was obviously going to be a pain in the ass for him, and it wasn't as if she's going to remember his little confession or this act of kindness anyway.

'_It's because I love her…'_

Reaching for her again, he slipped his hands under her waist and legs. It was a little difficult at first, but he managed to pick her up. She grumbled slightly from the movement but didn't say anything. He maneuvered the through the crowded room and exited the bar.

It was considerably colder outside from the ocean breeze, this was what helped Ryuu cool his head down when he first stormed out. And now it was affecting Celine as well, she was starting to get a hold of her thoughts and place, but with that the pulsing in her head also magnified.

"My head hurts," she whined.

"I know."

"Put me down," she began struggling. "It hurts."

"No," he held her tighter when she moved. "Stop it, Celine."

She stopped wrestling against him and just lay still in his arms whilst rubbing her forehead back and forth. By the time they reached the submarine, Celine's pretty much fallen asleep in Ryuu's arms. He wondered if Kane and Sei were back yet, and if they were was that other girl with them. Kane had a bad habit of bringing in any girl into his bed, and that has caused some annoyances in mornings. Mostly the crew having to ignore the crude yelling from next-door while they ate their breakfast, it didn't happen very often but still occasionally.

He's decided that he's had enough of mistakes for one evening, and brought Celine down to her bedroom. Tucking her into bed, he pulled her covers over her shoulders. It was painful watching her, she looked so calm and angelic while she was asleep, and it was like none of what happened today had fazed her. While he was in so much despair, she can calmly sleep this incident off as if nothing happened.

Ryuu sat down on the side of her bed, his legs giving out a moment before. He knew from the start that nothing good would have come from loving a woman like Celine, a woman that already had eyes for someone else, and now here he was alone and miserable.

"… It's not fair."

"_It never is."_

The door creaked open wider and the last person he wanted to see appeared. Not only did his heart almost stopped beating, but he almost toppled over as well. Standing at the door was none other than his captain, and by his expression it seems he's witnessed the whole thing. His hat was uncharacteristically off, giving him an even more intimidating aura. For the first time in a long time, Ryuu was actually afraid.

"L-Law," he gaped.

"What happened here?"

Law entered the room and walked over to the bed. He reached forward and ran a finger down Celine's warm cheek. The way he eyed her was something Ryuu couldn't comprehend at all, it was so tender and caring; and he got all that just from a single look at Law. A dark hole emerged in his heart – it was doubt. Was he capable of giving her everything Law can?

"Ryuu?"

"If the terrible smell didn't give it away already, we had a bit too much to drink," Ryuu tried to brush this off quickly. "Celine in particular, she passed out a little while ago so I brought her back."

"I see…" Law pushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Are your feelings for her still the same from when we last spoke?"

"… Yeah."

"I was afraid of that," Law sighed. "That complicates things a little, doesn't it?"

"I suppose it does," Ryuu braced himself for the worst. "… And…?"

"And?"

"Aren't you angry? Don't you want to hit me or something?"

"No, you're my friend and a valued crew member," Law replied simply. "Celine and I may share a relationship and that doesn't change our friendship. But I must reaffirm my feelings for Celine. It may not seem like it but I love her, so I would like you keep your feelings in check."

"So you want me to back off?"

"Predominantly, yes."

"And if I can't do that?"

Law's smile turned chilling. It was an expression that Ryuu hasn't seen in a long time – A look of pure dementia.

"Well, I don't know," he shrugged lightly. "I'm sure everyone has noticed my amiability since Miss Celine's arrival… sparing so many of our opponents," he shook a little as he held onto the bedframe for support. "But let me assure you that I haven't forgotten what it feels to carve into a victim's fresh flesh, and the gripping sensation of watching those red fluids drip from a fading body… the exhilaration of ending one's life."

Ryuu got a gist of what he was saying – _'does your love for her rule over your fear of me'_.

"… And here I thought you've gone soft…" Ryuu forced a quick chuckle.

"Never."

It wasn't threatening, not really anyway. He had asked Law to be more forward with his feelings before, and now here he was being as forward as one can be; doing what he can to protect the one he loves.

"Good thing you're our captain then," Ryuu headed for the door. "I'll be going first then."

"Hm," Law gave him a nod. "Good evening."

The look he gave said otherwise, absolutely cold and unwelcoming. Ryuu looked to Celine one last time before ducking out of the room. Once the room grew silent, Law finally let out a deep breath. The room grew quiet and still as the seconds slowly ticked on. It had been difficult confronting someone like that with accusations such as his, but he had somehow managed.

Law sighed again as he sat down on the bed.

"You're really giving me a lot more trouble than you're worth," he mumbled, reaching her arm around her. "You do nothing but attract annoyances and now you've turned one of mine against me… Oh, Celine…"

She shifted against the contact from his arm and snuggled closer into his chest. Law couldn't help but let out a small smile at that, she may have been nothing but trouble but now her mess was his mess. He's grown to adore her so much that it'll take more than an outsider's interference to change his feelings. He's well aware that something more must have happened between Ryuu and her earlier this evening, but that problem lied entirely on Ryuu.

Like Celine said, when she was jealous she wouldn't hesitate to beat someone down for making a pass on her man, but she was wrong about one thing – one thing about him. Jealousy is something that can poison one easily, and Law is no exception to such dark corruption. When he grows bitter, he won't act upon it immediately; perhaps he'd wait a bit and allow his rival the delusion of security before going in for the kill – much like a hunter and an animal falling prey.

Law wasn't about to strike down a friend, but he's also not going to hand over his woman without a fight. If a long bloody battle awaits them then so be it, but for now he'd like to avoid any sorts of conflict for as long as possible.

"Celine."

He patted her cheek lightly causing her to stir from her slumber. It was a while before her eyes finally opened, and that concerned Law a little.

"… L-Law?" her voice was faint. "Where'd you come from?"

"It's more like you've appeared from nowhere," he grinned. "You've really got no idea what happened, do you?"

"… No? Did something bad happen?"

"… I don't know for sure," he ran a hand through his hair. "Ryuu brought you back a little while ago."

"Did he… where is he now?"

"He retired to rest for the night."

"… You seem upset," she sat up, ignoring the rush in her head. "What's wrong? Something _did _happen… tell me."

When he didn't reply right away, Celine pushed him back onto the headboard and straddled him. Her thoughts may have cleared up considerably but her body still craved for the opposite genders. The heat from before returned at the presence of another man – of Law's presence.

"And you probably had something a little more than just a drink, right?" he grinned at her forwardness. "Did they drug you or something?"

"I don't even know anymore…" she held him tighter between her shins as ran a finger down his chest. "Get this off."

"What are you planning to do to me?"

Even with his questioning, Law still obliged to her little demand. She may have not known, but her drink had definitely been spiked with something, that Law caught on with his doctor's eye. It would have been serious if she wounded up in some stranger's bed, but she came back just all right – that was something he can thank Ryuu for.

With his chest now exposed, Celine's eyes wandered down the man's flesh. It was a little embarrassing having her eyes sweep over his body like the way she was doing, especially with her sucking on the inside of her mouth like that.

Law shivered when his eyes met with her blue ones, that stony gaze from before vanished and they were now replaced with a vigorous fire.

"… I want you…"

Her body begged for the sensation, the newfound pleasure that she haven't yet experienced before. Law felt her need – her lust. In any other normal circumstances, he would have been all for this, finally taking her in the most intimate way possible was something that he's always thought about but put on hold whenever he had the chance. On those past occasions for different reasons, but today it'd feel like he's taking advantage of her. Celine was a strong and beautiful woman, and he'd like to take her when she held a clear conscience. When she'd be fully aware of her feelings for him and the pleasures he's making her feel.

"Laaw~."

Before he knew it, her lips were clasped over his. He may have wanted to stop this tonight, but he found it difficult with her tongue tracing his locked lips and her thin little fingers sliding down his abdominals and down towards his crotch. It was inherent that Law reacted to her advances; keeping his mouth shut tight, he reached for her waist and grabbed her sides. His heart began to race as he felt her hips through the sheer fabric of her dress.

Falling into her pace, he pushed his hands upwards, past the small curve of her waist and up to her breasts. His thumb fingered the thin strap of her dress, sliding between the fabric and her soft skin. Celine pulled away to get a better look at his movements; she shivered from anticipation before turning to face Law. She bent forward until their nose touched and they felt each other's breathing. The heat was really driving him insane, and her passion-filled eyes that never left his.

Ignoring the voices in his head that disagreed, he pulled the straps down on both sides and watched as Celine shimmied herself out of the top half of her dress, pushing the fabric down to her waist. She was in her bra now, a pretty little silk one, and Law was finding it very difficult to keep his hands to himself.

He was about to push her skirt up before he jolted from the feeling of a hand over his zipper.

"C-Celine…" he panted, pushing her away. "Stop it… I-I can't…"

He barely had the time to react before she caught his lips again. The way she was making his body feel… how his own body reacted to hers…

It would have so easy… it would be so easy to give in and let her have her way with him. He knew he had to put a stop to this soon; by the way his breathing has grown rugged, it wouldn't be long before he loses his discernment to indulgence.

"Enough," he pulled her off with all his strength. "Not like this."

"W-What?" she mouthed. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," he held her cheek. "Your judgment's off, I can't do this to you… not when you're in state."

He wasn't sure if she quite understood what he meant, but those burning flames in her eyes died down. All passion and libido that exuded from her earlier was now gone. She just stared him down, those gunmetal blues of hers causing him to freeze up.

"Celine?" he shook her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"Hm…"

She collapsed onto his chest and rolled off to a side. Turning her back to him, she unhooked her bra and then pulled the dress back over her shoulders. Without another look at him, she crawled under the sheets and lied down onto her pillow.

"I'm going to sleep…"

"… Are you upset?"

"No, I'm not… I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he held her shoulder. "It's not your fault… Just sleep it off, alright?"

"Mmm…"

They stayed like that for the moment, with Law holding onto her from behind like he was cuddling a stuffed toy. He hadn't managed to sleep a wink earlier, all he could do was read while he waited for Celine's return. He hoped he'd be able to catch some sleep with her, but that's not the case at all. He's now even more awake than he was before.

He yawned lightly as he clutched onto her tighter. It was going to be a long night, and he knew he wasn't going to get any sleep.

**XoXo**

It's been a strange kind of night.

Ryuu finally picked up the courage (through alcohol) to confess his feelings to Celine, but she brushed it off as if she didn't hear it. And now here he was, holed up at the observation deck drinking his feelings away.

From the corner of his eye, he spotted Sei returning to the ship with his brother slung over the poor albino man's shoulder, looking to be singing some sort of song. Ryuu winced slightly, feeling slightly sorry for Sei, and also a little thankful that the windows were closed. He was about to turn away before he noticed something. They stopped walking, and Sei held onto his throat as he staggered over to hold the railings.

Without thinking, Ryuu walked over to the window and pushed the glass outwards.

"Hey, you okay, man?" he heard Kane ask. "Should I get- get… get Law or something?"

"No," Sei said through heavy breaths. "I'm fine, I just choked. I'll be alright."

With Sei's reassurance, Kane grinned and went on with his singing. His brother might have been convinced in his drunken state, but Ryuu wasn't. Things may have sucked for him today, but now he's got even more pressing things to worry about than his little broken heart. He watched Kane wander off down the hatch while Sei hung back on the deck. He began a fit of coughs again, and when it stopped he sighed as he looked up at the sky.

"Done watching?"

"You knew?"

"It's not that difficult so spot your silly looking face peering out the window," he chuckled.

"… Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I choked."

"… Seriously?"

"Your brother says some funny things when he's drunk," he shrugged. "He caught me off-guard with a rather crude joke…"

"How bad?"

"Bad," Sei rubbed the back of his neck. "And he's been a pain in the ass… but it's been an interesting night."

"Oh, tell me about it," Ryuu grumbled.

"How about we stop this Romeo and Juliet setting and save what we've got to say for tomorrow?"

"Hm."

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait! Chapter 15 is finally here! ^-^**

**Thanks to everyone that alerted and favorited this story! :D**

**Reviews:**

mr. chair – Thank you! :D

D.L – Hehe, you've got to read on and see! Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it :)


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